Transformers Prime: Shattered glass (Jack and Arcee Romance)
by Galaxy fiction
Summary: Arcee and Jack have finally told each other that they love one another. A month after Hoover dam, and she's getting distracted by her love. when Optimus sends her and Ratchet to investigate a crashed species ship from Cybertron, she contracts venom from a long extinct Rust Basilisk. the Venom changes her, making her aggressive, nasty and ultimately join Megatron. Can Jack save her?
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Author notes: A new story Ladies and Gents! yes, the next episode has begun, with Jack having a job with Fowler working with the bots, which means no more K.O burger, and more time with Cee. Plus Jack on missions, fighting in his awesome suit! Hope you all enjoy what is about to unfold! - David

* * *

A huge C-130 roared across the night time sky of Rio de Janeiro, rumbling through the choppy sea of clouds. The massive Favela, clambering up the huge mountain wall flickered bright with dull lights. Upon a nearby peak, the open arms of a stone Christ welcome the huge military jet, the massive pristine city below suddenly cutting a thin line between wealth and poverty as silver scrapers turn to rusty shacks by the thousands.

The wings buckled and swung as the massive titanic plane bellowed forward, huge propellers rotating and screaming in the heavy onslaught of wind. The rear hatch opened, slowly whirring through the thunderous clouds. Inside the darkened bay of the plane, only three beings stood, one taller than the rest. The slender female form of Autobot Arcee stood inside, fists clenched, staring out of the plane's rear hatch at the cloud fogged view of the distant city.

A man stood next to her, dressed in recognizable metallic blue and gold plated armor. He shrugged his shoulders and bats the black lock of hair from his eye. Jack smiled at the sight of Arcee. In the short month since Hoover dam, Jack had finally gotten a job working with Agent Fowler and the Autobots. The Autobots were reinstated with Fowler's team. Jack had proven his loyalty and new skills in combat over this life changing month. Jack had a new life, a good life. He was working with the family he adored, the friends he held dear, and most of all...the woman he loved. Jack looked at his partner, a smile forming.

"Hey Cee!" He shouted over the tremendous roar of the jet engines. She looked over at him, smiling.

"You got any plans Saturday night?!" He shouted to her with a smirk. She shrugged.

"You know I don't!" She chuckled back.

"Then we're going out to celebrate my new job, my new life!"

"Deal partner!" she shouted, looking back out the rear of the plane. Jack cracked his neck, remembering days long past where he was an awkward teen drooling after her. Now he had her, and he was working as an operative, an Autobot. He realized just how lucky he was. He looked down at his newly refurbished armor suit, which he was nowhere near as inexperienced in using. Ratchet did a perfect job fixing it; especially after the beating it took on Hoover dam, by Sector Seven and Blackout, rest his spark.

Agent Fowler stepped out of the cockpit, walking over to the duo. Red lights blared inside the dark plane. He looked over a data pad, his suit jacket blowing in the gale force winds, trying to get sucked out the open plane hatch.

"Okay you two! We've got a Decepticon threat detected by Ratchet here in Rio de Janeiro! We believe it's another one of those Decepticon heists!"

"Another robbery?!" Jack shouted.

"Decepti-Sapiens no doubt!" Arcee added.

"Optimus and I want you two to move in and either stop or if necessary neutralize the cons, Human or bot!"

"Why not just bridge us here?"

"Ratchet's bridging is down for maintenance, so I stepped in. I got you here though, just took a little longer" Fowler winked, nudging Jack's armor with his elbow.

"If they're hitting another bank, no doubt this'll end like London, or New York?! They'll get bridged off continent by Soundwave!" Arcee inquired.

"Possibly! All you two need to worry about is not getting civilians hurt or causing damages to the city, or yourselves!" Fowler shouted to them. "If it comes to it, try and lead them out of the city before kicking their asses to the curb!"

"Yes sir!" Jack nodded.

"You'll drop from here! Once you land at the designated drop zone, head for the city! Might want to turn the suit off though Jack, cut down the attention you'll get!" Fowler chuckled.

"I won't let you down!"

"I know son!"

"Well let's do this Jack!" Arcee said, walking towards the rear of the plane. Jack nodded, walking over with her. Fowler grabbed Jack's shoulder.

"Stay safe, for your mother! Don't do anything stupid! I got you this job; I know you can handle it! But don't make me fill another coffin with a friend!"

"You forget sir, I've got her!" He pointed to the Autobot female posed at the hatch.

"I won't let anyone down Agent Fowler" He said as his helmet closed around his head, locking tight and the eyes gleaming neon blue. He stomped with metallic feet to the edge with Arcee.

"Ready partner!"

"Ready!" Jack replied. She smiled, stretching from audio receiver to audio receiver. A partner capable of helping her thoroughly on missions, she hadn't had one of those since Cliff. Jack was always great with Intel, London proved it. But now he was trained, older, braver. He'd faced down Sector Seven for her. His days as her pet to protect were long over. He was her equal. He was her partner. He was her everything.

The light beeped and the hull filled with a green hue, blaring. "Go, go, go!" The soldier from the hatch shouted.

"See you on the ground!" She said with a wink, leaning forward and falling into a nose dive.

"God she's hot when she does that" Jack mumbled to himself.

Jack took a step back, a deep breath exhaled through the helmet and he jogged forward, leaping from the plane, falling through the clouds. His first ever halo jump, in an alien designed transforming metal suit. Never thought his life would offer that.

With arms spread out, he fell. He saw Arcee nose diving, arms pressed tight to her side. Jack mimicked, diving with his arms locked close to his torso, like a falling pencil. He gained speed as they raced through the clouds. The faint lights of the city glimmered than vanished as they raced down through the night time clouds.

Fowler looked from the plane as they dived, a smile on his face. The soldier tapped his shoulder.

"Sir! The kid didn't take a parachute!" He panicked, holding it up.

"He doesn't need one son!" Fowler walked towards the cockpit door, leaving the confused soldier holding the parachute sack. "And he isn't a kid. Not anymore"

...

Jack and Arcee cleared the clouds, the huge city lying in the valley below. A waypoint creating a chartered course towards the base of the huge _Christ the Redeemer_ Statue, empty of all tourists at this time of night, 1:34am.

Jack accelerated with a thump as his thruster boots kicked in, a crackle and roar behind him and amber glow of propelling fire. He kept his legs rigid and still, a trait he'd learned after the dam and London. Learning from past mistakes help to better shape future actions.

He raced by Arcee, who watched him go with a smirk.

"Not a race!" she shouted, her competitive side kicking in as she dived. Jack kept his eyes fixed on the waypoint his HUD created as the heaving winds battered him. He tensed his torso and tilted himself, correcting towards the landing site. He neared the ground.

_Sir now might be an imperative time to activate the flaps._ Teletraan One spoke in his ear.

"Good call, and thanks for helping me use this suit" he spoke inside the quiet helmet, only the thumping of his pulse and his heavy breathing sounding.

_Our little secret sir._

Jack held his arms out wide and the array of brake flaps enable, stretching out from his arms and back like wide metal feathers. Aggressive wind hit him and tried to speed him up, along with Gravity's push. Jack grimaced as he held his arms out and kept holding them out, slowing and angling his legs down beneath him, coming to the right angle.

He activated the thrusters once more; factually Teletraan did, helping the eager young human Autobot. The boots slowed him to the perfect altitude. Arcee raced past, also using wind breaker flaps to slow her approach and angle herself back up. She could go fast than him, landing first with an earth shattering thud in a knelt position, fist against the cracked ground, only because of her metal body and stronger physique.

Jacks fragile human form was stronger in the armor, but not strong enough to survive an impact at those speeds. He neared the ground, holding his hands down and keeping his feet together as the thruster boots hovered him over to the podium beneath Christ. He dropped with a clang and staggered slightly, arms waving out as he steadied himself.

"Okay, that...was awesome!" He chuckled as he looked up at the leaving plane they'd just jumped from.

"Cee! I just jumped from that thing!"

"Yeah you did. Well done partner" She said, crouching down to him.

"I mean I just...whoa, my life is so awesome right now! I mean I got this suit, I got the Autobots" he saw her face drop. "But most importantly, I got you" He said, his helmet disconnecting, revealing his face as the mask sunk into the chest piece. She lifted her head up as he stroked her cheek.

He leaned forward planting a gently kiss on her lips, enough passion to let her know she was his everything. An arm around his back and a passionate press on the lips back, his top lip between hers, Arcee gave her all. They gently pulled away. He panted slightly along with her, only gently. She opened her eyes along with him as they bumped foreheads softly.

"Shall we go get these cons Cee?" He said to her.

"Now you're talking my language" She smirked as she transformed. Jack hit the Autobot logo on his chest with a thump and the suit hissed and dissolved, forming up and onto his back in a cube, Autobot logo on the back of the box as it clipped tight. He raised his black hood and hopped his jeans coated legs over his beloved motorcycle partner. He rested his trainer wearing feet on the footrests.

Arcee revved and raced down the hill from the redeemer as he stood arms held out wide to the welcome city below.

...

In the heart of Rio de Janeiro, screams echoed and gunfire crackled. Arcee pulled to a stop just around the corner from the bank, funnily where the cried were coming from. Suddenly Police cars wailed by the Motorcycle and her rider towards the bank, blue and red flashing lights glistening on walls.

"Cons always do these heists at night; they know what they're doing" Jack rubbed his chin.

"Must have recruited men with knowledge on how to commit perfect robberies" Arcee stated.

"Yeah well it won't be so perfect in a moment, come on Cee" He hopped off of her and neared the wall of a tall building. He activated the armor and seconds later, thruster boots engaged, flew up the side of the building, no longer walking his hands up the wall to steady him. He'd learned.

He landed on the roof and activated his right arm blaster, repeating London and aiming at the bank. He winced his left eye and glared through the right. The scope picked up the same scenario. Decepti-Sapiens holding hostages, however this time Jack spotted the awaiting Vehicons early, two of them sat in vehicular modes not far up the road.

"Arcee, we got Vehicons literally a few meters up the road from you, you think you can head through the alleyways and get em?"

"Of course, just tell me which alleyway" he saw her drive forward across the road, transforming as she disappeared into an alleyway. Jack counted the alleyway exits.

"Erm...From the one you just entered, I count six alleys. Go through-err-the seventh and get em from behind" Jack told her

"Element of surprise. Got it" She nodded, running through the darkness of the alleyways. Occasionally Jack would see a dark mass move through one alley, and another, towards the unawares Vehicons.

She slid her arched back along the brick wall with blasters raised. She could hear them revving and the brake lights painting red on the ground behind them. This was the alley.

"Jack, I'm in position"

"So far so good. I'm guessing these hostages won't be lasting long, they've got guns to their heads and these human cons don't look cooperative" Jack watched the Decepti-Sapiens shouting at the desperate police, trying to calm them, lowering guns and palms raised in a calming manor to the angry cons. "Arcee hit the Vehicons, now!"

She slipped out from the behind the wall, aiming at the back of the cars.

"Hello boys!" She smirked, firing at the unawares cons. One exploded in a fireball and the other transformed, running to the awaiting Sapiens. Arcee took cover as the con fired back at her.

"Scrap! Jack he's getting away"

"No worries, at least they've let the hostages go. Now that they're in the car, we give chase and get them away from the innocent" The Vehicon with Sapiens and money inside drove away with pace as Arcee drove out of thealleyway. The police were too busy with the hostages. Jack lowered his rifle, shifting it away into his arm. He held onto the wall and took a deep breath.

"Teletraan I hope you're helping right now" He sighed, leaping the wall and jumping to the ground below. Suddenly the flaps kicked in as did the thrusters, steadying his four story jump to a gently stop. He landed slowly on his feet with a clank as Arcee pulled over. He immediately hopped on, helmet forming around his head as he did. She drove off giving chase.

"So Cee, we gonna break rule one?"

"What, win?" she replied as they caught up with the lone con.

"Winning isn't enough Jack, you wanna make em cry!" She shouted, driving alongside the con as Jack readied his arm blaster. Suddenly he looked up, seeing a huge Buffalo mine clearer drive out of an alleyway onto their side of the road, blocking it.

"Arcee, get em!" He shouted, wincing and rolling off of her, skidding along the tarmac in his armor, rolling to a stop at the curb. If he'd stayed on her, she wouldn't have been able to transform till she'd stopped so Jack could get off. This way, she could focus on them.

"Thank you Ratchet for this suit"

Arcee wanted to go back for him, but she had to finish this. Just as the Buffalo stopped, she transformed, leaping onto the roof of the con, diverting around the buffalo labelled Bonecrusher by millimeters.

"Shockwave, this is Bonecrusher. You might want to get Soundwave to open a bridge and soon" He growled, driving off after the Con and Bot tangle.

Jack sat up with a groan to the grill of a red and gold sports car. The pristine car revved, headlights gleaming on him.

"Well, well, well. Jack is it? How's mom, is she good? Nice suit. Though it looks a little scratched" Knockout joked. Jack got up, walking alongside him, holding his gut, walking off the pain.

"So do you" He smirked, scraping the sharp corner of his rectangular barreled blaster down Knockout's side, a thick silver streak of ripped paint edging along his torso with a metallic screech. The Decepticon wailed, not in pain but horror.

"You...you ruined my finish! You're dead!" Knockout revved at him, transforming into the tall red eyes Decepticon doctor.

"Thought you joined the winning team?" Jack hissed.

"With Megatron back, this is the winning team" He smirked. "Now, you'll pay for that scratch!" Knockout sighed as he looked at the door wing on his wrist.

Jack, thanks to the help of Teletraan, activated the thrusters and flew up out of Knockouts range, missing his swinging sharp fingers by inches.

"Teletraan, can you lock onto Cee for me?" He shouted as he hovered, looking over the city.

_Autobot Arcee has been located sir. Shall I set you a waypoint?"_

"Thanks Teletraan" he edged forward gently and flew like Iron man after Arcee, having watched the films to give his flying style practice, legs together and arms to his side, head raised as he flew over the city, watching Arcee below as she sliced at the roof of the Vehicon. He looked back slightly, back down the road as Bonecrusher was driving after them, alongside Knockout.

"Teletraan, I'm going to need you to put some more juice in my boots"

_Yes sir. Your thrusters are now at 70% power; however, power was triaged from shields, meaning amour will be weaker by 30%_

"I'll cope. Thanks Teletraan" Jack said as he boosted forward towards the chase. Suddenly a UAV drone raced by him, almost knocking Jack into the path of a tall broad skyscraper, he corrected his course but only just. The purple drone landed just up the road as a tall slender Decepticon: Soundwave.

"Arcee? Cee, its Soundwave!" Jack shouted through his communicator, watching it unfold from above.

Meanwhile Arcee looked up the road at him. A ground bridge opened before Soundwave, swirling in powerful green light.

Arcee leaped off of the Vehicon, twirling through the air and lining up a blaster shot, as if in slow motion. She closed one eye and released the blast, firing the blue energy under the car, blowing the engine tank sky high in a huge fireball. The purple Vehicon erupted in flames and Decepti-Sapiens flew from the burning wreck as the dead con smashed and rolled down the road. The humans writhed in pain amass the firing inferno. Arcee stood tall, Soundwave's appearance distorted by the wobbling horizon of heat from the amber flames. He stared back as he stepped into the ground bridge, vanishing. Burning notes of money filled the air and littered the floor.

Arcee, quickly rolled aside as the huge Bonecrusher raced past, six wheel running over the burning hull with Knockout in tow. They both disappeared through the vortex.

"That's my girl" Jack smiled with a fist pump as he watched from his hovering stature in the sky, thrusters burning.

The green swirl vanished with an electrical pop and she dropped her stance of aggression. Humans lay on the floor, holding wounds and moaning. She had a few moments, and wanted her own answers; so she walked over to one, a girl. Arcee crouched and placed her blaster to to the con, a crazed blonde woman with the Decepticon logo on her arm.

"What are Decepticons doing here?" She whispered to herself overlooking the injured Sapiens and destroyed Vehicon. "What do you want? What's all this money for? Answer me!" She ordered.

"Tyranny" She chuckled with a smile through the pain. Arcee growled. Her interrogation was severed when police sirens sounded up the road. She transformed and drove off out of sight. Jack watched from above as she drove off up the road, police arriving not far behind in sheer numbers, arresting and apprehending the legion of Decepti-Sapiens. It wasn't all of them, but it was a start. Jack watched as cops pulled them along the ground, pressing knees into their backs and shoving cuffs on them. An arrest of ten men, three women, thanks to Arcee and her skills. Jack saw her heading out of the city towards the darkened statue aloft the hill.

"Teletraan. Tell Optimus we stopped em. Well, tell him Cee stopped them. And ask if Ratchet can bridge us back yet. We're coming home" Jack said as he raced towards the statue with his thrusters.

_Of course sir_

_..._

Jack flew down to meet Arcee, back at the Redeemer statue. Still the wailing of police sirens cried.

"Great work Cee" he smiled, landing with a thump.

"Lost the money though" she sighed with a shrug.

"So? At least they can't use it for whatever they had in mind" Jack told her.

"I guess. Wish I knew what it was. It scares me to not know Jack"

"Me too"

Suddenly a loud pop sounded and the green hue of a ground bridge erupted beside them.

"Ready to go home?" He smiled as he stepped forward. She grabbed his shoulder, kneeling down.

"Jack, you did amazing work today. You and I, we stopped them. Don't second guess yourself" she said. Jack was confused. His eyebrow floated upwards.

"Arcee, what are you?"

"When you talk to Teletraan, I hear it too" she chuckled gently. Jack gulped.

"Oh...so you know that he..." Jack played with his gloved fingers.

"Helped with your suit? Yes" She smiled with an eyebrow raised.

"Scrap" he sighed.

_She did figure it out for herself sir. I kept to my order of withholding the information._

"Thank you...Teletraan" Jack hissed.

"Jack, that is what he's there for! To help. you still have a lot to learn about flying that suit. I can't imagine how difficult it must be. You did amazing work, and i am so very proud of you" she gave a gently squeeze of his shoulder.

"Wait, does that mean that the guys at base can hear us...you know...talking about...us" He asked like a nervous kid.

"No, I turned that side off. Just you me and Teletraan baby" she smirked. Jack chuckled.

"Thanks Cee. I appreciate it. I know my skills aren't there yet, but I'm getting there...slowly"

"Hey, who knows Jack, Maybe one day you'll be a prime" she joked, ruffling his hair.

"Nah, that'll be you. I can see it now" He held his hands out in front of him. "Arcee Prime, leader of the Autobots, the first _beautiful _Prime!

"Flatterer" She smirked.

"I try" He nodded back. She cupped his face and kissed him, letting her arms wrap around him and hug him close as she kissed hard. He stroked her face and up to the back of her head. After a long intimate kiss, she let go. Jack was dazed slightly.

"Whoa...a-and that?" he stammered, scratching the back of his neck with his gloved hand.

"For saving me countless times: The dam, from ending up like Blackout. For showing this old war-bot that there is more to life than fighting and death...I love you" she sighed with a smile.

"I love you too Cee"

"Come on, we got some celebrating to do" she smiled, getting up and walking towards the bridge. Jack followed, his helmet reforming around his head, simply to conceal his love struck expression till it calmed down.


	2. Chapter 2: Megatron's master plan

"Rio de Janeiro was a success, no civilian casualties, no being photographed or spotted, and done very quickly" Ratchet said with a smile as he closed the bridge. Jack and Arcee looked at one another, her arms crossed. Jack thrusters himself up into the air for a higher jump, high fiving her and dropping back with a clank.

"Mmm mmm, yes" Ratchet sighed and mumbled. Optimus stepped forward as the doctor tended to the last of his calibrations.

"You two did splendid work. Jack, I am extremely proud of you, for your bravery and dedication to the mission" Optimus smiled. Jack nodded to him as his helmet disconnected and closed into the suit. Jack ran his fingers through his hair.

"Thank you Optimus. I appreciate the responsibility you've given me" he smiled up. Optimus nodded to him.

"Well, it's getting late. You two should get home.

"Actually, I need Arcee to remain here. I have something I need to discuss with all of you" Ratchet interrupted. Arcee grumbled with a full on shoulder drop, arms swaying by her sides.

"It's okay, I'll see you later Cee. See all you guys tomorrow I guess" Jack's armor opened and disconnected off of him and into the cube. He set it down on the crate to his left and began walking over to his pushbike he had here, in case scenarios like this happened.

"Goodbye Jack" Optimus called.

"Bye Jack" Arcee said with a wave as she walked off to the corner of the hanger, sitting down and resting her optics. Optimus looked at the rest of the bots, getting ready to rest at the very late hours of the night.

"Ratchet, you had something to discuss" Optimus asked.

"Argh!" Ratchet shouted as the bridge controls spat sparks at him. "I'll do it tomorrow night Optimus. Right now, I need to repair this" The sole reason Arcee couldn't go with Jack now being delayed. Luckily for Ratchet, she was asleep now, exhausted from the mission.

Arcee was one of the few Autobots to feel uncomfortable sleeping in her vehicular form. Ironhide rested as his pickup truck, Bulk as his jeep and even Ratchet as his ambulance every so often.

"Autobots. Power down" Optimus ordered before he sat down and closed his eyes, giving to the unbeatable urge to rest his optics. Bumblebee slept in the opposite corner and Jazz just wherever he pleased, stretched out like a happy cat, snoring. Ratchet worked throughout the night, trying to triangulate the problem with the bridge.

...

"You failed to steal from a mere insect bank!" Megatron roared at Knockout, making him cower behind his palms with rickety knees.

"I assure you my lord, it will not happen again. Plus look what that human Jack did to my-"

"Knockout...I swear on the spark of Primus, if you mention your finish...I will finish you!" Megatron bellowed at him. Knockout turned, leaving the room, as quick as he could. Bonecrusher, almost the same size as Megatron leaned off the wall, uncrossing his arms.

"Forget about it Megatron, we've stolen more than enough money to buy those rods Starscream was talking about"

Megatron ignored the lack of the word "Lord" and looked up from the console.

"Yes, perhaps I was hard on Starscream. His plan for these Uranium rods is quite brilliant. But, as always he wasn't thinking big enough. He didn't know how to utilize it properly. He had visions of rocket launchers firing them. Not what I envision Bonecrusher" Megatron grasped one of the rods in his pincer grip.

"So what do you see Megatron?" He asked with a smirk.

"Well Bonecrusher...I believe that dropping one of these from orbit, should do just enough damage, to annihilate an entire city. And with these human fanatics under our control, bigger rods can be purchased without question. The thing with humans is they do not care where their weapons go or how they are used, as long as they are paid handsomely for it. Starscream was right after all. To steal is to get once. To buy is to be a customer...and with that, not a single Autobot knows what we are doing. This is the start Bonecrusher...the start of my rebirth, with dreams of annihilation!" Megatron looked out over the Nemesis bridge at Earth's orbit, a gigantic satellite being constructed, thousands of Vehicons working on it.

"What is that thing made of? It's huge!" Bonecrusher asked. Megatron glanced down at him.

"We couldn't have Starscream using the Harbinger again. So I had it put to use...smelted and used...for this" He smirked.

Bonecrusher nodded with an evil laugh.

"When is old screamy coming back?"

"His punishment for allowing my death and the rebirth of an Autobot Cybertron is still in effect. He will not return, until he brings me something. Something of worth, to prove his worth" Megatron admired the view of the huge weapons construction, parts of the Harbinger being used to build it.

"Earth will feel the wrath of Megatron!" He sneered, his brilliant plan coming together, unnoticed.


	3. Chapter 3: Arcee's distracted

A full twenty four hours or more had elapsed since Rio, and Jack finished his last ever shift at K.O burger, happily quitting and heading on to greener pastures.

Jack rubbed his eyes as he walked out of the double glass doors of the K.O burger drive through. The queue of street lamps laid large amber light circles on the ground beneath them. The empty car park screamed "Zombie apocalypse movie", with the small light rays beaming from the street lamps, only lighting small areas of the night time dark. He checked his watch: 9:45PM.

After a thorough stretch and long yawn, he walks over to his beloved...pushbike.

"Ahh, I forgot I peddled here" He grumbled, hoping to see his girlfriend waiting for him instead of his old pushbike. "Wonder how Cee's doing. Send her a quick text" he told himself, leaning against the wall and flipping his phone open.

_[Hey Cee, how's my favorite girl doing? You up to much? If you're not on patrol or anything did you want to go out tonight? we've still got to celebrate. My treat? :) Love ya – Jack xxx]_

After tapping away at his phone he sent the message to her. He flicked the phone shut, shoved it in his pocket and grabbed the rickety handlebars on his pushbike; which had nowhere near the same smooth feel of Arcee, but it got him from work to home. He pushed off from the curb and peddled out of the car park, heading to home.

Now that June knew about the Autobots again, Arcee wouldn't have to stay in motorcycle form in the garage anymore, unless friends came over. It was a good time in Jack's life. A month after the Hoover dam incident, Megatron's revival and Blackout's demise, and only several Decepticon threats had occurred, all of which were handled. However so little Decepticon incursions made the Autobots restless, and also nervous, as if the Decepticons were planning something...something horrible.

Jack shrugged his head and sped for home, hopes of seeing Arcee that night lighting his way.

...

Meanwhile at the Autobot base, Optimus was briefing the bots on a new mission. He stood tall and proud, red and blue skin gleaming in the artificial light on the hanger ceiling. Raf was asleep on the sofa, stretched out over it. Miko was sat on the floor, tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she drew on some paper, occasionally glancing up to see the subject she was drawing: Ironhide, the third Wrecker, along with Wheeljack and Bulk, Wheeljack was still on Cybertron with Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen. Ironhide was here though, having come to Earth with Jazz. He was broad, candy red and arms crossed, staring at Optimus. His arm cannons were folded up into his wrists and he'd occasionally rub his square chin.

Miko reached into the array of color pencils at her side, grasping the blunt red one she'd used several times for this drawing. With her age, her sketches had improved drastically, even being offered an art scholarship.

Ratchet was stood beside Ironhide staring up at Optimus as he explained the situation and task. Bumblebee and Jazz, along with Bulk were to the other side.

"Autobots, Ratchet has discovered the crash site of a long lost Cybertronian vessel that escaped the war. It crash landed deep in the Sahara desert, and over the centuries, has been buried by the sandstorms"

"So how did you pick it up Ratch?" Jazz asked. Ironhide felt uncomfortable, seeing Miko gaze at him every few seconds.

"Bulk...psst Bulk" He whispered, getting the big green hulk's attention.

"Why does she keep looking at me?" Ironhide was confused, not knowing Miko well enough. Bulkhead chuckled.

"Relax Hidey, she's just utilizing her talent" He nodded at her sea of paper and drawings by her feet. Ironhide tilted his head to them.

"Very nice..."

"Ratchet, if you could step forward, and bring up the display of the hidden ship" Optimus stepped aside, beckoning Ratchet over.

Ratchet stood, back straight and arms behind him, like a drill sergeant. He loved the moments where he was in charge.

"Now, what we have here is a Cybertronian species vessel. It was given the task of taking fossils and native species from our world to preserve them on a new home, to rescue and protect our world's life forms and its history"

"So why are we investigating it?" Bumblebee asked, raising his shoulders slightly.

"With Shockwave still kicking, it would be reasonable to presume he would try to locate this ship for more fossils" Ratchet explained, pointing to the schematic of the ship, behind him on the large screen.

"And make more Predicons?" Bulkhead inquired.

"Or worse, Primus knows what we'll find in that Shi...hang on, where's Arcee?" Ratchet raised an eyebrow, looking over the crowd. They all parted and revealed her stood facing away, tapping a text message into her holo-tool on her arm. She chuckled to herself, so engrossed in what she was doing, she didn't notice the Autobots staring at her, Ratchet tapping his foot, arms crossed.

_[Sounds great Jack. I'll get done here and –_

"ARCEE!" Ratchet shouted, startling her and making her spin around quickly, closing the blue glowing holo-tool.

"What is with you? You've been so distracted recently" Ratchet shrugged, eyebrow raised on the old Doctor's face.

"What? No I haven't"

"Really? What did I just say?"

"Hmm?" She mumbled with raised eyebrows.

"You heard me Arcee. What is this ship, and why do we need to investigate it?" Ratchet knew he had her. All the Autobots watched the back and forth, like tennis.

"Oh...that ship...we..." She scratched the back of her head and dug her toes into the floor, looking bashful and shy. "We need to find it so Miko can draw it?" She took a shot, a wild attempt. She squinted and sunk her head into her shoulders, a nervous smile on her embarrassed face.

"HA!" Jazz exclaimed, quickly correcting with a throat clear and fist over his mouth as all the bots looked at him. "Sorry" He looked down, Ironhide smirking.

Ratchet ran his hand down his face with a groan "Oh Primus" He growled under his breath.

"Autobots, you are dismissed. We will discuss the plan of action for the investigation tomorrow morning. In the meantime, it is getting late. Bumblebee, Bulkhead, please take Miko and Rafael home"

"Arghh" Miko groaned as she dropped her shoulders.

"You can always-er-draw me tomorrow" Ironhide shrugged.

"I guess. See you later Wrecker!" She held her fist out and he gently nudged it with his giant one.

"See ya" Ironhide smiled. Bulkhead carefully lowered her down.

"Good kid" Ironhide said. Jazz nodded, crossing his arms. "They all are"

Bulkhead transformed, Miko getting in with her drawings in grasp. Bumblebee carefully cupped Raf and slowly and quietly transformed around the sleeping boy. They both steadily drove out of the base.

Arcee was stood with her arms crossed, still mumbling to herself about Ratchet embarrassing her.

"Arcee. May I speak with you for a moment" Optimus inquired. She nodded, stroking her upper arm and gulped.

The small two wheeler avoided eye contact with the other bots in the base as she walked over to Optimus. Ratchet shook his head and rolled his blue optics.

Optimus led her aside to a quiet corner. He knelt down and looked at her. "Arcee, what's bothering you?"

"What? Nothing, I haven't been this happy in eons" She sighed.

"Then why have you been so distracted?"

"No reason" she looked away.

"Arcee..."

"Can I go now? I do have plans tonight"

Optimus sighed, setting aside and letting her leave.

"But...you will be going on the investigation mission tomorrow. With Ratchet" Her eyes widened, and spun around, Ratchet jumping up too.

"What?!" They said in unison.

"You haven't had a mission without Jack in a month. This will be perfect to help get you refocused, and reconnect with your fellow Autobots" Optimus said standing up. Ratchet spluttered.

"But I need big hands if I'm going to move some of these fossils"

"Fossils?" she asked.

"Were you listening at all?!" Ratchet shouted at her, raising his arms. She rolled her eyes, turning and transforming, driving out of the base. Ratchet put his hands on his hips, watching her leave.

"Seriously Optimus, what is she up to?" Ratchet inquired. Optimus bat the question aside.

"Give her some time. She did believe that Jack had died at the dam. We both did" Optimus looked down.

"But he's fine! And they are closer than ever, than Rafael and Bumblebee, even Miko and Bulkhead. No, there's more to this..." Ratchet rubbed his chin.


	4. Chapter 4: Sparkmates

Jack lay on his bed, his earphones blaring music into his inner eardrums. His foot tapped to the beat of the song. On his desk lay a photograph of Jack and Arcee, both pressed together to be in frame, smiling and winking at the camera. Jack's suit was left at the base, a project to keep Ratchet occupied. The doc had a lot of time on his hands for the past month with barely any Decepticon incursions, nothing he had to worry about, so his suit was a project for Ratchet to keep himself busy on.

Jack suddenly felt a hand on his head, ruffling his hair. He opened his eyes and glanced up. Arcee's hand retreated out of the window above his headboard. He sat up smirking, removing the earphones and turned on the bed to face her, on her tip toes to reach the window.

"Hey Jack" she smiled to him.

"Hey Cee!" He said with a grin as he jumped up to his knees and leaned out the window planting a kiss on her lips. She retracted gently, savoring the kiss.

"Mmm, you know how to make a girl swoon Jack" She smirked.

"What are you doing in the garden Cee?"

"Busting you out of course" She grinned. Jack raised an eyebrow. He was no longer a teen and had no need to be "Busted out"

"We had a...date tonight remember?" she looked bashful at the idea of him forgetting, or even at her sudden need for someone. There was a time when she was closed off from the rest and had no need to interact with anyone. Now she had Jack, a man who'd changed her life...for the better.

"I remember Cee, don't you worry. What did you want to do?" He asked her with a nervous rub on his neck. She shrugged in response.

"I don't know. Thought we were going to celebrate"

"Oh yeah! err..."

_Damn, I feel bad that I can't take her to a restaurant or a movie...wait, a movie!_

He clicked his fingers, eyes widening. "What about a movie? We could go to that new action film that's out. You like violence"

She looked at him, eyebrow raised. "Yeah, what you gonna do Jack, sneak me in as a motorcycle? I don't think you can take bikes or Autobots into the movie theater"

"I meant a drive in movie. You park up and watch it in your car or on your motorcycle" He chuckled at her humor.

She lowered her head, with a gently shrug. "Yeah, I guess"

"What's up?" He asked sincerely.

"I was...kinda. Well, I was just wondering...if you...wanted to stargaze with me, like old times." She gently smiled, hands wringing together.

He loved this. I gentle, nervous side to her, that nobody else saw. At first it made him feel nervous around her, not seeing the hard shelled Arcee, but a loving sweet girl that simply loved spending time with him. With time he grew used to it, grew to adore it and her, and loved her even more deeply for her nervousness towards being sweet and gentle instead of violent and retribution crazed over her partners.

Slowly, he was helping her move on, and it made her all the sweeter towards him.

"I...would love to stargaze with you" He beamed at her. She raised her absolutely drop dead gorgeous optics, the pink rings on the stunning blue melting his heart.

"Great. I'll be out front. See you in a minute" She walked away from the window, the sound of a T-cog shifting, followed by an engine rev. He let the flutters of his heart dampen and his smile fall from his face before getting up and grabbing his large thin blanket, folding it up in his grasp and holding the folded rectangular thick sheet under his arm. He looked at his photo of her and him.

"I am so lucky" He exclaimed as he stroked the photograph with a happy sigh. He shoved the blanket in his backpack and zipped it tight, and made his way out of his room. He trotted down the stairs.

"Me and Arcee are going out tonight mom!" He shouted. A door sounded, opening from upstairs.

"Where are you going?" she called from the top of the stairs.

"The Autobot base, I've got some stuff to sort out with Optimus...about my last mission" He lied, wincing. Moments of silence sounded.

"Well, I'm glad you're taking this job so seriously. See you later"

"Err, I'll be back tomorrow!" A loud engine rev sounded, Arcee still as impatient as always "Look, I'll see you later mom! Love you!" he shouted, quickly shutting the door and heading to his awaiting motorcycle love.

"I...love you too" She sighed as the door slammed before she could finish.

He made his way to the blue motorcycle on the drive. He laughed aloud as he walked over, throwing the rucksack over his shoulders. "You are so impatient Cee!"

"Hey, I have things to do, Stars to watch with the man I love. Call me crazy" She chuckled, happiest she'd ever been. He stroked the motorcycle as he clambered on, grabbing his helmet and forcing it over his head. Arcee pulled out from the drive, roaring her engine. They headed to their stargazing spot aloft the tree freckled mountain outside Jasper.

...

After a fifteen minute long, warm night time drive towards their relaxation peak, Arcee pulled to a stop at the top of their flat ground peak. The trees stood over them, amassing around the clearing, like kids in a circle around a school fight. The break in the trees let them see out to the distant desert, the cliff where Arcee had said farewell to not only Blackout and Grindor, but Cliff and Tailgate. She was slowly heading towards peace, with Jack's help.

Jack stepped off of her, setting his rucksack down and throwing his helmet off as she transformed, morph gorgeously in the low light, only the lunar white glow reflecting off of her. She moaned as she stretched, immediately lying down in the grass overlooking the sky above.

Arcee lay in the tangled grass, rubbing it with her palms as if making a snow angel. She felt nothing but scrapes against her metal hands. She sighed and gazed up at the stars, a huge sky full of illuminating lights that glimmer and flicker against the black silk quilt of space. Her silver polymer face had a smile as she admired the night sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She asked, her cobalt blue eyes illuminating towards Jack, as he groaned, lying down beside her.

"Yeah...it sure is" he said with a smile as he adored the vastness of space. Arcee gleamed her optics down at his open palm. She smiled gently and placed her long silver fingers on his hand, tickling his senses with cool polymer as she tightened a grip, sliding her fingers between his as they both bunched their hands up in a ball of romantic hands, both so different, polymer Cybertronian skin, on soft human flesh. Yet their love for one another was so similar, so fixed on one another...so perfect.

He looked down at his left hand, intertwined with her right. He smiled up at her with his big eyes. She glistened in the white reflection of the omnipotent moon, slowly rolling overhead. Her blue optics created a calming hue around them in the low light.

He gazed up at the sky, the occasional shooting star whizzing over for a moment. She gasped and tightened her hand.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked immediately. She calmed.

"Oh...Primus. I thought it was an Autobot ship getting shot down...I saw that a lot on Cybertron" She explained. Jack sighed and his smile vanished. Why was it her, that had to endure the hardships of that war, the loss of her partners. Why should someone so perfect be born into that chaos?

"It's not fair" He exhaled. She looked at him with surprise.

"What isn't Jack?"

"Why couldn't you have a peaceful life? For frags sake you deserve it!" He snarled at himself, angry he couldn't give her the life she so deserved. She comfortingly smiled as she nestled her head on his shoulder, shuffling over on the grass, snuggling up to him, still interlocking hands.

"I have that now. I may still have to fight, but I have something worth fighting for besides survival and humanity" she gazed up at him. "I have you"

They both looked up at the stars. She exhaled as she smiled in awe at the glory of the universe, the galaxy as it slowly tilted above them.

"It would be easy...for two people to get lost in all that. Wouldn't it?" She said hopeful. Jack kissed the top of her head as she rested against his shoulder with a gentle moan.

"Yeah...it would" Jack said back to her softly.

"Find someplace really far away...where we could spend the rest of our lives...in peace and happine..." She soon stopped looking away. Jack heard her stop.

"Hey..." he whispered.

"Oh Jack...why? Why must the dreadful bonds of time make our life spans so fragging different! Primus...it isn't fair!" She cried out tightening her grasp on him. He stroked her cheek with his free hand.

"Hey, Cee. We don't need to worry about that right now, right?"

"But it's always there, digging at the back of my mind" Arcee sat up, sliding her fingers from his hand, against his will. He groaned as he too, sat up.

"Cee, don't. Don't you do that to yourself, not now" He said to her as she sat, hugging her knees. She looked up at the stars, glassy Energon tinting her blue optics. A lip trembled beneath her top lip.

"Jack...no one has ever touched my spark, like you have. I don't know what I'd do without you. Back on the dam, I didn't know how I'd continue without you...I considered...I..." She got up, walking over to the cliff, looking out over the night time desert, hugging her arms.

"No. Don't you say that Cee" He said, trying to get her to look at him, getting up and looking at her. "Cee I love you. So mu - can you please come down to my eye level?" He pleaded. She strolled over, kneeling down, her face in his view. He stroked her cheek again and looked deep into her optics.

"You and I, we managed to be together besides everything. We found each other when no one else was there for us. We got this far. We can get the rest of the way" He smiled at her.

"But what about-" he stopped her with a finger on her lips.

"Doesn't matter right now. I would rather have a perfect short life, than a long empty one. A perfect life...with you" He said with a tremble.

"Does that mean that..." she said, her optics widening. Jack scoffed at his comment, realizing he hadn't thought it, it'd just spilled from his mouth, his heart.

"Yeah...yeah Cee. I want to spend the rest of my life with you" He smiled as he finally realized, just how much he meant to her. He stroked her cheeks as she rubbed his palms, closing her eyes and savoring his comment.

"Jack...humans don't exactly live long, compared to our blasted lives. Are...are you sure you want to give yours up for me?" She was so unawares that Jack wasn't giving up anything, not if he wanted this, as much as he truly did. Only now had he realized.

"Cee, I'm not giving anything up, if it's all I've ever wanted. I...I want to spend my life, with you...p-partner" He said with happy tears welling. Arcee scoffed a nervous laugh as soft Energon tears rippled under her eyes.

"Are you sure?" She was still trying to comprehend that something this perfect could happen to her.

"Yes...Cee. You are the one. We've crossed the stars to end up together. Let's see it through" His voice breaking in this joyful moment.

"Because right now...there is no place I'd rather be" He complemented her. She smiled a fraction and tilted her face.

"Neither would I" She leaned forward, lips pressed against his as they passionately kissed. They held it for what felt like forever, slowly and intimately holding each other close. She slowly pealed her lips from his, lowering her head and lifting it, eyes raised at his.

"I love you Jackson Darby" She smiled with a quiver in her tone.

"I love you too Arcee" He said back with a tear descending his cheek. They gazed at one another, totally in love as they planned to be together forever. Their palms lowered and he raised his right, finding hers, her thumb pressing against his and fingers matching up to his, though bigger.

As they stared at one another, a blue glow illuminated from below them. They broke eye contact, looking down at their glowing palms. Arcee's Spark chamber was also glowing. After all this time, they could finally solidify their relationship. They could become Sparkmates.

Arcee smiled with a voice crack and tear bringing giggle. "By the Allspark! Jack...us...we..."

"I know! Oh my...Cee, we...it can..." Both speechless.

...

After several happy tear educing moments of speechless laughter, Arcee gazed to him. "Jack..." She nervously trembled.

"Are you sure about this Cee? I mean you could have any one, any bot you want. Are you sure I'm the one?" He stammered, giving her the option, though his heart screamed against it.

"You said you loved me. Show me" She smiled to him, leaning forward, holding him in a soft kiss. He kissed back just as strong.

Arcee brought her hand up along his side, taking a moment to enjoy the new found sensitivity her polymer skin was experiencing. She could feel ever crease, every fiber in his Hoodie. Her spark chamber hummed and shone brighter, blue light gleaming. Jack ran his hand along her smooth curves.

At that very moment, the blue light hummed around her. Her body morphed, mass shifting, making her shrink down slightly to match Jack's size. She was still absolutely identical, but more to his size. He ran his hand along her soft thigh, kissing deeply and passionately, eyes closed as they fell back into the grass together, a beautiful moment that the Allspark finally thought they were ready for, that it thought they had earned.

Jack rolled around with her, giggles sounding between kisses, blue energy from her spark chamber enveloping him too. Arcee gasped and closed her eyes as he caressed her softer exterior in this incredible intimate moment. Her optics glimmered bright as they gleamed up at the night sky, Jack gently kissing her neck. She stroked his back and held him close as they were in the act of becoming Sparkmates.

The Stars above them shone brighter that night, gleaming down onto the happy couple as they could finally consummate their love, and become bonded for the rest of their lives.

...

The morning chirps of nesting birds beeped like a natural alarm clock. Arcee's tender optics slowly opened and with a gentle rub of them she looked at the amber sun rising. She smiled as she looked over the blanket that covered Jacks bare torso, sleeping beside her, faces almost touching. His shirt scattered on the grass, along with other clothes. the rippled blanket covered Jack and Arcee, but her slender polymer boot-like feet peaked out from under the sheet. she curled them up into a fetal position, leg coiling over Jack's side. She smiled as she rubbed her thumb on his cheek, planting an ever gentle kiss on his forehead.

_Primus, last night was incredible. Finally, finally we are Sparkmates. _

She was now returned to her normal size and strength. She touched the grass, only feeling scrapes, not as soft and sensitive as last night. She looked down under the blanket at her chest, her spark chamber glowing as normal. She didn't feel any different.

_Did we become Sparkmates last night? Did it actually happen, or had I dreamed it?_

Her other hand felt a tight squeeze. She looked over as Jack faced her, moaning as he awoke. Her hand was tightly wrapped in his.

"Well, morning sleepy head" She hummed. His eyes opened and she gasped gently. Jack's iris's were a strong vibrant blue, more a cyan tint, glimmering only gently.

_Was that the sign they were connected now? Oh Primus, would the others see this? Would we have to tell them? _

"Morning Cee, how'd you sleep?" He asked, the blue in his eyes settling, dulling slightly, not as bright. A small trace of Energon that she had passed over, settling in his Irises.

"Does it hurt?" She squinted, pointing at his eyes, a little guilty in her tone.

"Does what hurt?" She raised her wing mirror and let Jack see. He pulled at his eyelid, seeing the Energon glowing irises. a digital aura moving behind the pupil and next to the Sclera.

"Whoa...wait, is that what your spark passed over? Is that proof, you know, that it worked?"He asked, remembering when he asked Optimus question after question about Sparkmates.

"I guess so" She giggled.

"So you and I..."

"Forever partner. No one can come between us, not now" She smiled to him, planting a kiss on his head.

He moaned gently and snuggled up beside her, feeling her warmth huddle his body. her arm wrapped around his torso and her leg shimmied over his. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as she gave in to her happiness. a smile across her face.

"Jack?" She asked, breaking the morning comfortable silence.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Remember when you were asking Optimus questions on Sparkmates?"

"Yeah..." he raised an eyebrow to her questioning.

"Well, do you remember what he said about the telepathic ability to transfer memories?" She asked nervously. Immediately he was recurring the moment Optimus told him that it is a mental link, that allows the two in question to transfer memories to one another. A total bond.

"Yeah...er, I do. I just...I'm not..."

"What?" She asked gently, looking up at him.

"I don't know how" He chuckled, all this being so new to him. he smiled, shrugging.

"Jack, you are my first, you know. I don't know how to either. You're not alone in this" She chuckled.

"Yeah...I'm not..." He cupped her face as she leaned on his chest, looking up at his face as they lay in between blanket and grass. "Never alone, ever again. And that goes for you young lady" He smirked. "No more taking things on alone, no more blocking me out, no more feeling guilty over the past. Just the future, you and me. Yeah?"

Arcee smiled at his statement, a chuckle under her breath. She stroked the human hand on her cheek. "Well, guess I can't pull rank any more"

"Right. No more junior partner Miss Arcee"

"I can deal with that...for now" she smirked, leaning up his chest and kissing him as he cupped her cheeks.

"Now, up you get Darby. I've got a ship to explore with Ratchet, and you have a mission debrief to go over with Fowler" She went to business, getting up and throwing the blanket off her legs. "Not that I don't want to just lay here with you, but you know Ratchet" she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah...Arcee, the mood killer" He chuckled as she threw his shirt over his head.

* * *

Author notes: Yay! Jack and Arcee finally Sparkmates!


	5. Chapter 5: Blitzwing wants answers

Megatron leered out of the Nemesis bridge windscreen overlooking his super machine of mass destruction being built. A cackle sounded behind him, and his red eyes peered over, shark teeth flaring at the source: Blitzwing.

The monstrous psychopath did not handle Blackout's death well, his only friend, the only bot who understood him. His fragile state of mind was even more flexed and strained to the point of snapping completely.

"Megatron...Excellent weapon of death you've manifested here!" He laughed.

"That it is Blitzwing...that it is" He put his hands behind his back, still keeping an eye on the unpredictable Hunter, now leader of the group. The beast stared out of the window, overlooking space.

"When do we use it?" He asked. Megatron chuckled.

"Patience Blitzwing. Soon. Soon we will test this magnificent weapon"

Blitzwing's eyes lowered as did his sinister smirk.

"I...have something to attend to on Earth Megatron"

"And that is?" Megatron snarled at Blitzwing's sudden statement.

"I...its personal" Blitzwing hissed. He turned leaving Megatron alone, the Decepticon warlord watching him leave. He raised an eyebrow.

"Soundwave, follow him, keep surveillance. I want to know what he's up to"

...

Meanwhile in the desert of Nevada, a lone lizard scattered along the flat scorching ground. After a quick lick of the air, it scuttled to the shady cover of a cliff, a huge cave dug into the side. The minute creature scaled the wall and came to a stop at the maw of this gigantic darkened cave. Another lick of the air and a quick dart of the eyes, it scuttled forward, tail dragging behind, disappearing into the cave.

"Ah! Get out! Get out you disgusting vermin!" A voice echoed from inside. Two big red eyes gleamed and the lizard came hurting back out, disappearing off into the desert once more. Two slender legs emerged from the cave's darkness as the light illuminated them. The snarling face of Starscream graced the cave entrance as he leered out over the desert below. He scratched at his hand wound, two fingers still missing. He clenched his fist and sighed as it didn't feel full or dangerous, only the two fingers closest to the thumb remaining.

He shook it off, staring out over the desert.

"Mark my words Megatron. You can claim my plan, my work so far. But when I return, and I will when I have something of value, I will rip out your optics!" Starscream roared, fists tightly clenched, shouting at the sky. He calmed himself, rubbing his optics with his finger and thumb.

"Having fun on your own Starscream?!" A voice shouted from above, making Starscream scour the horizon for the owner. Suddenly Blitzwing slammed down into the desert before him with an earth shattering thud and echoed. Dust rippled outwards.

"Ahh!" Starscream shouted, cowering back against the cliff, missile launcher wrist stretched out at Blitzwing, shaking as he knew what he was truly capable of.

"Relax screamy, I just came to you, since you were there at the time, and I wasn't" Blitzwing leaned close to Starscream, towering over him. "Where did Blackout perish" He snarled.

"wha...I...why ask me...Megatron was there, Barricade was, so was Skywarp, cursed Brother" He snarled. Blitzwing grasped Starscream's head in his beefy hand, making him yelp.

"Only Barricade saw him die, and he's on a mission as we speak. I need this done now. You've been on this planet longer than them, and I know you held the coordinates when it came to finding Megatron. So...I ask again, and pray to Primus it be the last time I ask..." He raised his Silverbolt sword. Starscream's teeth chattered and his eyes widened. "Where did Blackout Die?"

"H-Hoover dam, Nevada. There" Starscream said as Blitzwing released him.

"Thank you screamy. I appreciate the cooperation. Now go back to squandering in your own self pity" He snarled, morphing into his jet form and bellowing off over the distant desert. Starscream raised his hand, lacking the necessary finger to make the appropriate gesture.

"What a piece of rusted scrap. He'll be next to die" Starscream skulked off back inside his cave, thinking on how to make his return without being blasted to scrap by Megatron. He needed to get close to Megatron to get his revenge, and that required getting the item to prove his worth that Megatron ordered he bring.

Meanwhile Soundwave crouched on the mountain, watching Blitzwing fly off. he clenched his three fingers into a fist and leaped off of the mountain, transforming and flying after Blitzwing.


	6. Chapter 6: Entering the Species Ship

...

The morning sun was now the noon sun, the sky bright blue with clots of small clouds. Jack was nowhere to be found aloft Arcee as she raced along the rough roads towards Jasper's outskirts, only Sadie. After dropping Jack at Fowlers base, she needed to get to the Autobot base. A mission was waiting, with Ratchet. However she could not keep her mind from wondering back to last night.

_I can't believe it! You have a Sparkmate Cee! You finally have someone who cares for you, loves you! Oh I've never been this happy or-_

The horn of a truck awoke her and she quickly corrected, dodging the incoming Truck as she swerved back to the right side of the road.

"whoa, okay Arcee, keep to your side now girl. Maybe a good mission will clear my mind up...Argh a mission with Ratchet" Her wing mirrors shrugged. "I need to shoot and fight some cons, not catalogue some long dead Cybertron bug" She growled.

Arcee soon reached the hidden overgrown hanger, turning off the road and entering through the hanger doors. She looked up at all the bots, nodding at her and working on moving crates and boxes of Energon and ammunition.

She skidded along the pristine smooth floor and transformed, standing up straight. She felt very exposed, like a nerve, people prodding it and hoping for a violent reaction. She had just last night formed a bond with a human, a bond that some may consider disgusting, and an abomination. Hopefully not these people, the bots she called loved ones and family. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, making her jump from her day dream.

"ahh!" She shouted, raising her arms in a defensive pose.

"Easy!" Bulkhead chuckled, hands up in a surrender pose. Arcee sighed, lowering her arms and rubbing her forehead.

"Sorry Bulk. Got stuff on my mind" she nervously chuckled.

"Jack?" He asked with a smile. She raised an aggressive eyebrow.

"What is that suppose to mean?" She sternly asked, hands on hips.

"Well he's got his mission debrief today hasn't he? His first one...I thought you were nervous, that's all...what's with you Cee?" The big loveable lug asked. She sighed again.

"Sorry big guy. I didn't mean to lash out at you. So what's going on?" She asked, changing the subject. Bulkhead looked up with a smile. Arcee turned, smiling to.

Wheeljack walked into the base, smirking with his scarred mouth.

"Yeah, I'm back" He chuckled. "You missed me?"

"Hah! Jackie!" Bulkhead walked past Arcee, grabbing Wheeljack in a tight hug, lifting his off the ground.

"Every time Bulk" he groaned. Bulk broke the hug, dropping Wheeljack to his feet. They smiled a handshake between the almost brothers. Ironhide walked over, arms crossed.

"Got the Wreckers back together, huh Bulk?" Ironhide chuckled.

"Here he is, Ironhide my old buddy" Wheeljack smirked, grabbing Ironhide's hand with a powerful clap and holding it tight as neither refused to show weakness.

"What's-uh-the matter Jackie, Magnus got you pushin to many pencils?"

Wheeljack held it steady, his pistons flexing along with Ironhide's. He looked up at Ironhide's face, their arms trembling.

"what...hu-had enough?" Ironhide asked sarcastically.

"Nope...you-uh-big guy?" Wheeljack smirked, secretly in pain.

"I could do this-grrr-all day"

Arcee put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes at the overly manly Wreckers. Bulk watched in awe as they held their own.

"Had enough?" Ironhide smirked.

"Make it easy on yourself, big guy" Wheeljack chuckled.

Ironhide started pulling the arm down, pistons groaning. Wheeljack smirked and gave in.

"Okay, okay!" Ironhide chuckled as Wheeljack held his shoulder. "Good to see ya again Wrecker"

"Yeah. You too Jackie" Ironhide and him parted, Bulk wrapping and arm around either Wrecker's neck.

"Wreckers reunited! Haha!" Bulk laughed.

"Yeah, one big happy family" Arcee smirked. "So where's Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen?" she asked.

"Ah they stayed up on Cybertron. Someone's gotta watch the fort"

"Well, good to see you making Bulk and Ironhide smile" Arcee chuckled, walking off past Jazz, who was sat on a crate. She gave him a smile with a nod as he was tending to his sniper rifle arm, the long barrel sliding up and folding into his metal sleeve. He rolled his hand as it reformed, pistons hissing in his wrist.

"Hey Bee" She said as Bumblebee leaned over the railing of the tower in the centre of the base, the podium with a sofa and television for the kids, only Raf being there at the moment. In Bee's hands was a tiny controller, playing with Raf as the screen displayed their classic racing game. The red car over took the yellow and Bee cheered with a fist pump.

"Whoo!" He shouted.

"Ahh, no fair!" Raf chuckled. "Once more, I'll get you this time!"

"Good thing you don't gamble buddy" Bee laughed.

Stood in the usual spot by the bridge controls was Ratchet, working on the Energon levels connected to the bridge.

"Morning Ratchet" she said, he swatted his hand, possibly a wave as he stared at the panel.

"Mmm hmm, yes yes" he mumbled. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, looking at Optimus.

"Good morning Arcee. Did you have a nice evening?" Optimus said to her. She got defensive once more, worried they knew.

"What! What made you think I-"

"Arcee, calm down. I was merely referencing the fact you said you had plans yesterday"

"Argh...sorry Optimus, I've got stuff on my mind. Last night was...fine, thanks"

"Anything troubling you that you wish to share?"

"No, it's okay. Thanks though" She said, stroking her upper arms. Ratchet slammed a fist on the panel, breaking the awkward silence and startling everyone.

"You piece of absolute-"

"Ratchet! Maybe you should leave the upgrades for the time being, and discuss the operation plan for the ship investigation" Optimus saved them the earache of Ratchets cursing. The last time he went on a cursing spree, he made an Autobot soldier cry.

"Ah, yes. Arcee, you and I will be investigating the ship soon. I've locked in the below sea level coordinates and we can go whenever you are ready" Ratchet said. "We're simply looking to see if anything Shockwave could use to clone Predicons is available there, or anything we could use to make Cybonic plague cures or any other medical enhancements. If not, we blow the ship and all it's research" Ratchet explained.

"Your sort of trip then, huh Ratchet?" Jazz smirked from across the room.

"Yes, yes it is. I cannot wait to see what we have available!" Ratchet smiled, like a kid in a candy store.

"He's happier than a triple-changer in a vehicle depot" Arcee chuckled.

"Shall we go then?" Ratchet asked.

"When you're ready, as long as the bridge works properly" she told him.

"The bridge is fine, just useless upgrades, on useless technology" He grumbled. Arcee cracked her knuckles and nodded to him.

"Let's go and get your toys" she said walking towards the bridge as Ratchet activated it, a green hue illuminating.

"Wait! You'll want this" Wheeljack smirked, chucking Arcee an explosive. She caught it, nodding with a smile.

"Thanks" She attached it to her hip. Ratchet walked past her, heading inside, disappearing into the swirl of green light. She shrugged, walking in as well, immediately appearing inside the darkened hull of a huge Cybertronian ship.

...

The darkened hall was full of massive skeletons hanging from the ceiling and experiments long dead in bone dry test tubes. The bridge shut behind them, taking away the green light.

Ratchet went to work, checking over the ancient bones with an awe struck smile.

"Oh! This is a Rust Basilisk! They used to live in the sea of rust, before they were wiped out during the Great War" He stopped stroking the skull when he neared the fangs.

"whoa...best be safe and not touch. Arcee? Arcee, are you listening?"

"Mmm? Oh yeah, don't touch, got it" she said, leaning against the wall, looking at her hands.

_Wonder how Jack's doing? Why do I have to be here, I want to be with him right now-_

"Arcee!" Ratchet shouted. "I need your help with this, come here" He shouted from the corner of the room. She moaned, rolling her eyes. The only reason she was here was for protection, and Ratchet could definitely fend for himself. She walked across the room, noticing the intricate design of the rust Basilisk skeleton; the ribs, the spine, the teeth. It screamed the word: menacing. Arcee had to admire it, like she admired any worthy enemy. She rested her hand on the head height skull, fingers running along its bumps and rigid, inside the eye sockets and to the teeth.

"Arcee!" Ratchet shouted, startling her. The back of her hand scraped along the tooth, a scratch forming on her hand. A green glow dissipated into the scratch and she winced, staggering back from the staring skull. She shook her hand and stared at the scratch as the venom sunk into her Energon stream.

"Arcee!"

"Yeah I'm coming!" She shouted, shaking her head and jogging over to Ratchet, trying to ignore her stinging palm.

"What kept you?"

"N...nothing" she hid her hand from his view. She could do without his lectures right now.

"What'd you need?" she asked. before them was a gigantic room with a circular floor panel. a podium stuck out from the ground and Ratchet slowly approached.

"Be on guard. No idea what could be in here" Ratchet sighed. He held his hand over the podium. Arcee raised her blasters, the scratch still biting at the back of her mind.

_Oh Primus, have I just contracted Cybertronian venom? no, no not now..._

"Okay, here we go" Ratchet said as he pushed down on the podium with an echoing click. the sound of old cogs churning chugged and the circular floor panel split, opening as a huge cylinder raised up from the vault. Arcee squinted at it, still aiming.

"what is it?" She asked as it groaned to a halt as a small bridge extended across the empty vault to the cylinder. Ratchet slowly and cautiously stepped across it.

Ratchet looked up at something remarkable, a gigantic sealed Cryogenic stasis container, a massive hulking being stood still and silent inside it.

"Is that..." He said in wiped his palm over the glass, wiping away some of the frost from the fridge like vault. inside was a massive hulk of a being. Arcee stood behind him.

"Wait, is that..."

"I think so" Ratchet smiled. "looks like he only survived because of the Cryo vaults self sastaning battery supplies. must of been runnign on fumes, good thing we found it" Ratchet looked down at the empty vault, only this container being in there. "There's nothing here worth taking besides this. Come on, we'll get him out of here, then blow the place, so Shockwave can't find anything else" Ratchet said, walking behind the huge container and shoving. Arcee helped, as a ground bridge opened before them to get it home.


	7. Chapter 7: The Autobots learn the truth

A slam sounded as the Autobots lowered the Cryo tube into the corner of the base. All of the bots sighed with relief as they dropped it.

"Well, that didn't take you guys long" Jazz said, dusting off his palms. Ratchet shrugged, going over some scans on his datapad, occasionally glancing up, only at the pod.

"There wasn't anything worth taking, nothing I can't already do. This was the only thing in there we could not let Megatron get"

You blow the place?" Wheeljack asked.

"Kaboom" Arcee chuckled.

"Nice..You alright?" Wheeljack asked her.

Arcee looked at her hand, the scratch glowing. She could feel an aggressiveness biting at her mind. She shook it off and hid the hand as Optimus walked over.

"Arcee, Ratchet, excellent work on finding this tank. The occupant inside is an old friend, and though he is dangerous and extremely powerful, he is very trust worthy"

"I can't believe we found him. Primus knows how he ended up on this ship or how he ended up in stasis" Ratchet shrugged.

"Ratchet, I want you to begin an immediate thawing program so we can open the tank" Optimus ordered him.

"Oh I'd love to" The doctor jogged over to his controls, setting to work immediately. Ironhide bat his hands.

"Whoa, whoa and whoa. You want to open this tank, and let that...beast out?" He asked with an affliction at the end.

"Ironhide, you have nothing to fear. Grimlock is an old teammate, and he knows my face. I hope I can calm him when he thaws. No doubt he will be in a fragile state"

"Optimus, he may be right. Grimlock is larger and more powerful than us, h-he dwarfs you! Should we wait?" Ratchet asked.

"Ratchet, The longer he remains in that tank, the easier it would be for the Decepticons to capture him"

"Well, alright I'll begin the...Arcee? Are you alright?" Ratchet asked, just catching a glimpse of her examining her hand. She immediately hid it.

"Oh yeah I'm fine"

"Arcee, you never were a good liar. Show me your hand" He held his out as he tried to grasp hers. She hid it again with a nervous laugh.

"Honestly Ratchet! I'm fine"

"Arcee" He said sternly. She looked around at the other bots, who looked just as concerned. After a sigh and a lower of her head, angry at herself for being so distracted and stupid to touch the tooth, she offered out her hand. Just under her pink metal armor plate upon her blue palm, was a deep gash. It was pulsating green as the venom was working on her Cybernucleic Acid. Ratchet held her hand gently and looked it over, face never faulting.

"Mmm hmm. What did I tell you about that Rust Basilisk's fang?" he lectured. She rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know. I'm an idiot for being so reckless, blah blah, am I going to be alright?" she asked.

"With some treatment, yes, You will be back to yourself" He stood up, walking over to his array of monitors with the sample.

"Optimus, I'll deal with Grimlock in a moment. I'll make this antidote first"

"Of course. I expect no different from you old friend"

Arcee sat looking at her palm. At that moment, Bulkhead returned with Miko, transforming and helping her down from his palm.

"Yes! It's true! Jackie's back! And Ironhide too" she gasped at realization "All the Wreckers!" She quickly wasted no time, getting her phone out and flicking the pink screen up. "Quick guys! Group photo!"

The Wreckers shrugged and grouped up, looking at Miko's phone. A click and flash later, she had a photo of them together.

"Awesome!"

Ratchet mumbled to himself as he worked. Arcee sat holding her hand, Jazz sitting beside her.

"How is it, the fang bite. You okay?"

"Yeah...I'm good. Thanks Jazz" she smiled. Then...Miko arrived.

"Oh wait, fang? What happened?"

"Well, Arcee over here decided that a Rust Basilisk's mouth is the perfect place to stick a hand" Ratchet chuckled. Arcee rolled her eyes. Miko gasped at this information.

"A rust Basilisk! Whoa, did you kill it? Was it tough? Did the wreckers kick it in the head and-"

"It was already dead Miko...c-can you leave me alone for a while?" Arcee asked delicately. Miko scooted around under Arcee's legs.

"Did it hurt? Are you gonna be alright? Should I phone Jac-"

"No!" she shouted, hand out. "Ahem, I mean no, that's okay" she rubbed the back of her neck. Arcee could feel a loud whining in her ears, like a flash bang, and a white hot rage boiling her Energon as Miko continued to ask questions.

"Did it look like a snake? Were you and Ratchet on Cybertron? Where was it? Is it here?"

"No Miko, can you please-" The rage built and built.

"Are you sure you're okay? Is anyone else hurt? Can you-"

"**Miko! Just get the frag away from me, and shut up for five minutes**!" She roared, teeth flaring. Miko, staggered back, for the first time ever looking terrified of Arcee. She hid behind Bulk's foot.

"Whoa...Cee" Bulk said.

"I...I...That wasn't...where did that...Miko I..." Arcee couldn't understand her suddenly blackout and rage explosion. All the Autobots stared at her.

"I told you. The venom is affecting your personality. If I don't get this antidote finished within the next few days, you could change all together. Aggressive, brutal...the list goes on" Ratchet explained as he worked on the antidote. Arcee rubbed her aching head.

Suddenly a car pulled up at the door to the base. June leaned out the driver's side, with Jack getting out the other side.

"Hello everyone. Optimus, Doctor" June said to Ratchet as he worked. Optimus nodded back.

"Hmm, yes hello" Ratchet mumbled.

"Hello June. Jack, how was your first debrief?" Optimus asked with the others just as curious.

"It was alright...not sure what to do at first, but I got the gist towards the end. Give it time heh"

"Okay Jack, I guess I'll see you at home sometime tonight. Only a quick visit everyone, nice to see you all!" June shouted as she shut the door. The bots waved as she retreated the car back and pulled away, disappearing.

Jazz leaned down to Jack, offering his hand. "Well done big man" He smirked. Jack nodded, slapping Jazz a high five, like slapping a metal wall at pace. It hurt. Jack hid the pain as Jazz stood up.

He looked for Arcee, who was hiding her hand.

"Hey Arcee, show Jack your ha-" She kept a fake smile to Jack as she slammed her foot down on Wheeljack's toes. He yelped in pain, holding his foot, hopping slightly.

"Cee? You okay?" Jack asked.

"Never better Jack" She was so happy to see him, she forgot about everything else, the venom, the other bots, Miko's questions. Jack felt the same way, totally unable to concentrate through his debrief, only thinking of her.

"Gah, Arcee, my foot, why'd you do that?" Wheeljack whimpered. "Woman's got bite" Ironhide laughed at his fellow wrecker.

"Oh you are so tiny"he laughed, a swift punch from Wheeljack shutting him up.

Arcee rolled her eyes and looked at Jack. His eyes were glowing a bright blue. It seemed the closer he was to Arcee, the brighter his eyes got. Now that he was at beside her, his Iris's were neon blue, and he didn't know.

"There...one venom antido-" Ratchet gazed over and immediately saw Jack's eyes. He questioned it, getting nearer.

"Everyone else seeing this?" Ratchet asked as he bent down to Jack. Jazz looked over his shoulder, along with Bumblebee.

"Actually yeah...Jack what's with the neon eyes?"

Jack gulped, looking at Arcee. She was just as nervous, not sure why they were so bright. Arcee got up, walking away only slightly.

_No, no...Please don't let this all come out now...please Primus no_

Ratchet looked at Jack's eyes. All the bots gathered around bar Optimus. He was looking straight at Arcee. Optimus was old and wise, wiser than Ratchet. It was at that moment he knew. Arcee gulped and her spark trembled. Optimus Prime knew about her and Jack.

"Wait a minute...I remember reading about these side effects in a published Cybertronian study. But what was it about...Energon transfer..." Ratchet thought aloud, possibly thinking it was a Cybertron infection Jack had received by accident somehow. Suddenly, the old Doctor realized. His eyes widened to the point his optics may fall out. His finger trembled as he pointed at Jack and then to Arcee.

"Oh no...No, no, no, Please tell me you are not that stupid!" Ratchet roared at Arcee and Jack. All the bots were confused, along with Miko. He looked at Arcee, who avoided eye contact and heavily sighed, holding her upper arm. Ratchet flared his eyes.

"Is it..." Arcee didn't look up. "IS IT?!" He roared at the top of his Cybertronian lungs, startling Jack and Arcee.

"Yes alright! Yes it's true!" She cried out. Ratchet's arms dropped to his side and he looked at her with disgust.

"Well..."

"What? What's going on?" Jazz asked.

"Oh the usual, Jazz. Arcee here is Sparkmates...with him!" Ratchet pointed at Jack.

"Probably should have stayed home tonight huh?"

"Oh you think?" Arcee raised an eyebrow at her Sparkmate.

"Have you both...gone completely...INSANE?!" Ratchet lectured. Optimus's hand graced his shoulder.

"Easy old friend, it is Arcee's decision, and if she thinks Jack is a worthy mate for her spark, then who are we to stop them?" Optimus said to him. Ratchet scoffed.

"Oh we're just allowing fraternization now? She abused her power!" He pointed at her. "And he, took advantage of an emotional war torn Autobot!"

"That's a bit cold Ratchet" Jack snarled.

"Oh don't even get me started on the ramifications of this. You are a human Jack, weak compared to us, even with your armor. Now what happens if the Decepticons learn of this...oh let's call it love? What if they use you to bargain with her? Huh?"

"I...I don't-"

"Exactly, you don't know! I thought you were older, smarter than this"

"Ratchet, that's enough!" Arcee defended Jack. The other bots simply stayed out of it and watched. Miko stayed behind Bulk's leg.

"Point is Ratchet, we are in love, have been for months. Only recently did we finally manage too...you know" Arcee explained.

"Unbelievable. We have an Autobot, who hated Earth when she arrived, and a kid who used her to get back at the school bully, and try to impress human females...unbelievable" Ratchet shook his head, furious.

"When?" Ratchet asked them.

"When what?" Arcee asked angrily, standing in front of Jack.

"When did you become Sparkmates?"

"Last night Okay. After several months of trying, we finally achieve it"

"Ratchet, Jack has proved time an time again that he is a worthy ally, and a great friend. If the Allspark thinks Jack is worthy, and allowed this...shouldn't we?" Optimus said once again, supporting them.

"You can't be serious Optimus? This isn't love! This is some Partner crazed bots attempt to fill the gap of Tailgate and Cliffjumper!" everyone gasped. "And when Jack dies, she'll move on to the next, it's what she's good at!" he roared at her, suddenly covering his mouth and gasping, only just realizing what his anger had spouted.

Arcee's eyes were filled with hurt, and emotion. This was not how she wanted them to find out. Her Venom ran course and ravaged her CNA. Her emotions took a toll, and she held back the tears as all the bots stared at her, along with an incredibly sorry Ratchet.

"G-go...Go frag yourself Ratchet!" She shouted, transforming and driving out of the base alone. Jack shouted after her.

"Cee!" He turned to face the Doctor. "What...the hell...was that, Ratchet?"

"I...I got carried away, I haven't powered down in weeks and I took it out on her, Primus I didn't know how to react"

"Oh and that was a grown up, sensible response? You know you lecture me about not being grown up. Maybe you should look in the mirror!" Jack shouted as he turned, running out to find Arcee. Optimus crouched, hands forming a ball of fists over his mouth as he stared at the doorway, thinking about what just happened.

Jazz held his head and exhaled. Ironhide simply stared at the door as well, trying to make sense of it. Bumblebee sat down with a thud, grazing his hand along his head. Bulkhead lowered his head with a deep sigh. Wheeljack tried to comprehend it just the same.

"Jack...and Arcee? Primus, how did we not see it?" Bumblebee asked.

"None of that matters now, because if we don't find her, and soon...the venom will take her over..." Ratchet sighed.


	8. Chapter 8: The Venom runs course

Night time fell over Nevada, and the Hoover dam was doused in an unexpected rainstorm, splashing over the darkened concrete curved wall. A fighter jet rumbled upwards, transforming and slamming down on its knee with an earth shattering bang. The beige and purple Decepticon Hunter stood up from the kneeling position, overlooking Blackouts death site. Blitzwing needed answers, to who killed him. He walked around the dam, looking for clues. He knelt down and swabbed his fingers along the water logged concrete, water splashing off of him and the ground. He raised his fingers and rubbed them together.

"Hmm...Dry faded Energon?" He rubbed the residue on his fingers as the dull blue dry liquid began to melt away in the rain. He lowered his fingers and began piecing the events together. His circular lens left eye zoomed in down the dam as he saw the concrete platform at the bottom of the dam, where Blackout died.

Blitzwing leaped from the dam, plunging down off of the dam and landing with a titanic thump. He knelt down as he looked over the ground.

"Barricade wouldn't tell me who killed you...said it would affect my sanity and my stability...well, I'm more sane than ever" Blitzwing grumbled as he looked over the ground, the hunter in him at work.

"Who killed you my friend...?" He saw what looked like four holes, in a square shape on the ground. He looked over them. After tracking the holes, he looked to the wall of the cliff, glancing back over at the other side. Cables hung down, where they would have stretched across to connect to a radio mast.

"Hmm, a radio antenna was here...these holes were where it would have stood...Come on Blitzwing think" He saw more of the faded Energon and cracks in the concrete around the mast holes. He ran his hand along the cracks.

"An impact? The mast, is it possible...did you fall?" Blitzwing questioned himself as he gazed up at the dam. With his fingers he trailed up from the dam swooping them down and his fingers landed at the impact cracks and at the base of where the mast was, which pierced his spark chamber.

"So...you fell on this mast. Question is...who threw you? You're a big bot, so who could have bested you..." He mumbled as he overlooked the rain doused ground for any other clues. He saw a piece of motorcycle tire rubber. He reached over grabbing the flake, crouching as he held it in his huge palm. He turned it over, seeing Energon on the inside. He swabbed it with his thumb and his circular lens eye scanned it. Seconds later a beep sounded. It had CNA traits belonging to Autobot Arcee.

"Hmmm...So Arcee was here, and there was a scrap between them. Possibly she lost her tires in the fight..." Blitzwing's insanity was at bay while he worked, as if he had multiple personalities like his alternate modes, simply focusing on the hunt. He dropped the tire piece. He glanced around for anything else. He was in deep thought, trying to understand this situation. A thunderous lightning flash illuminated the area and he saw something in the flash, a small piece of blue and gold metal. He leaned down, picking it up between finger and thumb. He looked over it, trying to understand what it belonged to.

"Arcee? No, not blue enough...and she don't have gold details" As he looked it over, he saw the fluttering of a ripped glove attached to the end of this apparent gauntlet. Blitzwing's eyes widened.

"Wait...the boy, in Chernobyl. He wore a suit...for protection. Is it possible...was he here too? If so that's more proof to Arcee being here. Question is, how in scraps name did they beat Blackout?" he threw the metal on the ground and rubbed his chin.

"Unless, they weren't alone...did another bot help?" Blitzwing flew back up to the top of the dam, transforming and slamming down on his heels with this new image of the events in his corrupted mind. He tapped his chin, thunder rumbling and rain dousing the concrete with heavy patters.

"Now...a ground bridge would have got them to safety no doubt...linked to their base, so...question is...Who was it that came through...Who helped kill Blackout?"

"Jazz? No too pathetic and weak. Bumblebee? Ah the same. Bulkhead? Hmm Bulkhead" He stroked his chin as he thought. "From what Skywarp could tell me Blackout and Bulk did fight...but Blackout bested him, causing the Autobot to retreat..." Blitzwing scoured the rain doused dam for any other clues.

"Who killed you old friend? Ironhide? Possible, but Blackout knows to fall back if he encounters bots like him, and Ironhide would never take him alone...wait, that leaves..." His eyes widened and a sinister smile formed.

"Oh...Optimus Prime! Why did I not see this sooner! Optimus snuffed Blackout's spark! Only he could do it, Arcee would have cowered with her human pet. Optimus Prime..." Blitzwing's eyes twitched and a sinister grin emerged. He began to slowly cackle growing louder and louder as he bellowed it from his chest.

"Ha-Ha-Ha! Optimus Prime! You will pay for this! Blackout will be avenged!" Blitzwing roared at the maelstrom above as a clap of thunder and explosion of Lightning illuminated him.

...

After several hours of searching Jasper, night time fell, and Jack was getting concerned. He panted and heaved as he stopped running.

"Arcee! huh-where-huh-are you?" He panted. He looked through the empty streets of the small town, praying to see a motorcycle.

"Gah, Ratchet you hunk of rusty scrap, she didn't deserve that, she deserves peace and happiness! I promised her that" He moaned to himself. "I promised her peace and happiness when we were gazing at the..." Jack's eyes widened. It was at this moment he realized where she could be. "...at the stars" Her immediately started running again, towards the outskirts of Jasper.

After fifteen exhausting minutes of running, he clambered up the steep path Arcee would drive up with ease. He could hear sniffles and gasps. He reached the flat peak, no stars shining tonight, only grey rumbling clouds and cool dousing rain. He could hear the patting of water on metal. The trees swayed left and right as the ragged winds beat them. Jack saw her, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Cee...thank god" He walked over to the small femme. She was hugging her knees, head down between her knees, sniffling and breathing raggedly.

"Cee...I'm here" he said gently placing a hand on her shoulder, to which she sharply shoved away.

"Hey, Cee..."

"Go away..." She snarled with a sniffle. Jack was hurt, but he hid best he could behind his glowing eyes."I said, go away!"

"Cee, come one it's me! Jack"

"I know that...but this...it's your fault" She hissed.

"How?" Jack got a little defensive to that statement.

"I knew deep down I was better alone...stronger alone. You...you're not a partner or a loved one...you're what you've always been..." She glared up at him, her blue optics occasionally flickering red, only for a moment. "...A liability"

"Cee...I, it's me...come on, don't do this" he trembled, heart thumping to the rhythm of the rain.

"Leave me alone"

Jack saw her hand, the damage that the venom was doing to her and the argument with Ratchet. He gently touched her hand.

"Cee, your hand...it's scratched" He cared for her. She looked up with fury.

"You worry about** scratches**?! My family just disowned me! They hate me! Well, I'll show them..."

"What does that mean?" Jack asked sternly, yet with a concerned quiver as lightning bellowed.

"It means...that I am better and stronger alone...I just never realized it" She stood up, staring down at Jack.

"Cee, don't go...please, w-we can figure something out!" Jack begged. She glared down at him.

"No...**We** can't. But I can" She smirked slightly.

"Arcee, this isn't you...what happened?"

"I simply see things for what they are...family, friends...lovers...all liabilities!"

"C-Cee..." He said with glassy eyes. His heart descended to his stomach as he felt so low."W-we can w-work through this...I-I will not give up on you"

"Get away! Go! Go back to your precious Autobots! Don't come after me...because I may not be as understanding" She turned running and leaping from the ledge to the desert below. A transformation sounded and a trail of dark damp dust raced off into the distance. Jack jogged to the edge, jangly legs under him feeling weak and buckling, dropping to his knees in the soaked dirt. He squeezed the wet muddy dirt and clenched a fist around it. As he held his palm open, the wind didn't take it, it didn't scatter to the winds. Instead it simply dripped and fell from his grasp with a splat.

He burst into tears, holding his muddy palms over his eyes, weeping heavily as his relationship had just ended. But he didn't know that the real Arcee, hidden deep in the venom controlled Autobot still deeply loved him...Arcee would have to fight herself as the Venom grew stronger.


	9. Chapter 9: Grimlock wakes

Optimus stood, staring into the tank as the chemical bath concoction that kept Grimlock free-floating boiled and bubbled.

"Ratchet...are we near..."

"Yes...few more minutes and we can open the tank...Optimus, a-are you sure about this?" Ratchet asked gently. Optimus put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes...we have to. Grimlock is extremely powerful, and we need him to know that the Autobots fight the Decepticons. That we, are good...and they are evil"

Jazz shook his head, slamming a fist on the crate before him.

"We just gonna forget that Cee is distraught, and that Jack's out looking for her?"

"She just needs time...And Ratchet, will apologize for his words when she returns"

"Yes...I was wrong to shout at her like I did...so wrong" Ratchet sighed, knowing it was his fault.

Jack walked back into the base, head low and tears staining his cheeks.

"Jack! Where's Cee?" Jazz asked, looking for her. Jack shook his head, glaring up at Ratchet.

"You...she's never coming back! Because of you! She said nasty, horrible things Ratchet! She's never said anything like that to me before!" He cried.

"Jack, I...I...The venom" Ratchet was for once speechless.

"No! I-I'm done...It's over..." Jack swiped his hand at them.

"Jack, calm down. We will find Arcee"

"If she doesn't love me anymore, then why should I give a shit? She made it clear that she doesn't love me...called me a liability, called us all liabilities...then took off to the desert on her own...she's long gone"

"Jack, We will-"

"NO! You can take you pod, and your Autobots...and you can go fight your own battles Optimus. Like always...Because I am done...done with the lot of ya" Jack shook his head with a look of disgust before dropping his Autobot badge from his armor. It clanged on the floor, staring up at the bots. He put the faction-less Cube on his back as he strolled out of the base, the armor intertwining around him and locking tight as he cleared the base, blasting off into the sky with a crackle and a plume of wet dust.

"Jack..." Optimus sighed.

"Optimus...he'll come around. He just needs time, both of them do. Come on...let's get Grimlock out of there...before we all change our minds" Ratchet tried to change the subject.

"Jack's gone?" Bulkhead tried to understand. Bumblebee leaned down picking up the badge.

"That isn't the sort of thing someone does if they're just leaving for a while...he's gone for good...so's Cee" Bee sighed as he clutched the Autobot badge.

"Ratchet...Open the tank" Optimus said with a lowered head.

"Of course. Here we go..." Ratchet pulled down on the leaver and the tank buzzed as the chemicals began to drain. Grimlock slowly lowered to his feet as the liquid suspending him vanished.

The tank hissed and the door lifted up, all the Autobots on standby, weapons raised except for Optimus and Ratchet who marveled at the gigantic Dinobot, falling to his knees with a thud. The gigantic being coughed up chemicals before standing up tall and looking around the room.

"I am Optimus Prime. These are my Autobots, my family. We fought together during the Fall of Cybertron. Do you remember?"

Grimlock simply stared around the room, before looking at Optimus.

"Me Grimlock...have no friends!" He punched Optimus across the room. The Prime slammed against the wall, slumping to the ground as he went to get up.

"Ahh here we go!" Jazz sighed.

_Sir, I cannot contain the specimen. He is out of my safety parameters _Teletraan One stated to Ratchet.

Grimlock walked towards the little Autobot that is Jazz, grabbing his head and throwing him at the wall. Suddenly Wheeljack leaped up, a fist cracking across Grimlock's face...simply making him tilt his giant head. Grimlock kicked him with a thud as the Wrecker fell back. Grimlock growled as his hands trembled with rage.

"Uh-oh" Bumblebee nervously chuckled as they all backed away.

"Me Grimlock...angry!" He roared as he slammed one fist against the ground with an earth shattering thud.

"Oh this is not good" Wheeljack smirked as he got up from the floor, followed by Jazz. Grimlock smashed his other fist into the ground, both morphing into giant mechanical dinosaur legs. The golden toes dug into the ground as his body shifted and spun into the heaving torso, a tail folding out from behind. Two tiny arms sprouted and finally the huge Tyrannosaurus head lifted up, roaring with a tectonic growl.

All the Autobots looked in awe and shock at the huge Dinobot.

"Great! How'd we calm him down?" Wheeljack asked. Optimus stood up.

"Grimlock! Calm yourself! We are all allies here! Look at your chest! Do you see that badge?" Optimus shouted. The dinosaur panted as it gazed down, seeing the Autobot logo. He looked up at Optimus and all the others, as they pointed to their badges.

"See? You are one of us...Welcome home old friend" Optimus waited for him to lash out, but the Dinobot didn't. All the Autobots lowered their weapons as Grimlock simply dropped his arms and head, morphing back to his robot form, stood tall over them.

"Me Grimlock...sorry" He sighed, rubbing his head with his gigantic hand. Ratchet chuckled.

"No harm done my dear boy"

"You didn't get thrown across the room by him" Jazz sighed, cricking his neck.

"Your stasis has fully worn off. Welcome back to the Autobots Grimlock"

"Thank you..." Was all he said as he stomped over to his pod, sitting on the platform inside the open tank.

"He just needs time. Remember it's been several thousand years for us, but for him it's only been a few minutes" Ratchet explained as he finished the stasis conversion. Optimus pat his shoulder with a chuckle.

"Glad we could defuse him old friend"

"Me too...me too"

...

Arcee walked alone across the desert, holding her upper arms as she growled to herself.

"I don't need them...I'm better alone...they'll see!" she shouted with a snarl.

Meanwhile in a nearby cave, Starscream stirred, walking out overlooking the cold night-time desert. He looked with red gleaming eyes at Arcee, alone. He smirked and unsheathed his sharpened fingers.

"How delicious: An Autobot...alone. Wait...an Autobot! My gift to get back to Megatron. Yes!" He celebrated. He leaped down into the desert and walked up behind Arcee. She immediately spun around, not violent but questioning him.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

"Answers actually...why are you out here all alone?" He asked, with a finger pointed and eyebrow raised.

"Ah! It's a trap isn't it! No! Don't capture me again!" He squealed.

"Relax scream. I'm not with them anymore" she growled, walking forward away from him. He raised his eyebrow higher.

"Well then...why's that?" He caught up with her.

"Because they are self obsessed Jerks, Scrap heads who don't understand me...don't care about me...They think it's so easy being me? Fine. Let's see how long they last **against** me" she hissed. Starscream stopped in his tracks as she carried on walking.

_Wait...does this mean she's...a Decepticon now? I have an Autobot who hates them...but why? Ah that can wait...we can finally learn of their base...and destroy it! I'll be back soon Megatron, don't you worry_

Starscream ran to catch up. he put an arm over her shoulder, making her raise an eyebrow.

"So...Arcee. You hate the Autobots yes?"

"Yes..."

"So do I...how about we team up...beneficial for us both. I want Megatron's head...You, want Optimus's right?"

"All of them"

"Oh good...greedy. Well, what if I told there is a way...a way to get what you want?" He smirked. She closed her eyes.

"I...I don't know...oh this isn't right" She switched personalities. She looked at the ground, holding her arms. Starscream smirked, villainous in his appearance.

"You want revenge, always have. Now I can help you get it...Like I said...There is a way Arcee"

She closed her eyes tight, something in her finally snapping. Soon she reopened them, her cobalt blue optics replaced with deep red eyes with white hot pupil rings instead of her once beautiful pink ones.

"I'm listening" she smirked.

...

An hour had elapsed since Arcee's dark turn. In Earth's orbit, Megatron stood looking at the complete super-weapon satellite from the Nemesis Bridge. Shockwave and Soundwave stood on either side of him.

"Excellent work on this mega-weapon Shockwave. Good to see you are still the same harbinger of death that I saw on Cybertron" He smirked.

"This machine is most logical. By simply dropping the rods on the target, the gravity of Earth pulls them down, faster than any thrusters could boost them. The ultimate death bringer"

Megatron chuckled to himself, shark teeth flaring. Suddenly beeping blips sounded as Soundwave's face lit up with warnings. Megatron titled his head to see them.

"What? Who..."

Megatron, Shockwave and Soundwave arrived aloft the Nemesis flight deck, overlooking space and Earth's curved horizon. A ground bridge opened thanks to Soundwave and Starscream stepped out with an unseen ally behind.

"Oh Lord Megatron, I'm home! And I bring a gift" He smirked, sarcastically curtsying.

"Oh? And what might that be Starscream!" Megatron shouted, leaning down to face him. Starscream smirked wider and he stepped aside, his hands out displaying Arcee as she stepped forward, eyes opening revealing her red eyes and a deep smirk.

"May I present to you: Arcee! Autobot revenge seeker, ready and fit to serve my liege"

Megatron leaned forward, rubbing his chin. He looked her over.

"How did you...convert her?" Megatron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I...didn't, that's just it Megatron. A little bit of convincing and bam! Her eyes go red and she agrees to help" Starscream shrugged. Shockwave scanned her.

"My lord, it indicated that she is pumped full of Rust Basilisk Venom. She must have had it in her system long enough for the CNA reaction to affect her mental balance, seeing as though Starscream tipped her over the edge"

"What? How would they get Rust Basilisk Venom?" Starscream shrilled.

"It is possible they found one of my long lost specimen ships on Earth. No doubt they have disposed of it by now" Shockwave explained.

"Excellent work Starscream! I am impressed"

"Oh that's not the best bit, watch this, watch this" Starscream smiled as he walked over to her stood still.

"So Arcee...any idea where the Autobots are hiding?" He rested his arm on her shoulder, looking over his other hands two fingers. Her eyes popped wide at his touch and she grabbed his arm, throwing him to the ground and pinning him beneath her knee.

He cried out "Ow, ow, ow!" his face pressed against the flight deck.

"Don't touch me again" She snarled, red eyes twitching. Ha-ha-ha

Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha! Yes Starscream that is the best bit" He leaned down to face Arcee "Do you wish to serve?" Megatron asked her.

"I wish to join you!" She smirked, clenching a fist as she let Starscream up. He raised a backhand to her with a snarl. She barely flinched, merely putting a hand on her hip.

"Starscream! Please show her to Knockout's quarters. It seems she is in need of proper...Decepticon treatment" He said, looking over her Autobot logo.

"The sooner the better" She snarled, walking past them, hips swaying. She had become more evilly seductive, a lot like Airachnid, which was an insult to compare Arcee to her. Megatron watched her walk off as he stood tall, eyebrow raised. Starscream followed with a grumble.

"This is perfect. Soon she will reveal the location of the Autobot base...and we can test our weapons" He smirked looking at the satellite.

Barricade sat on the flight deck next to Frenzy, looking out over the satellite. He sighed lowering his head. "This isn't right...I only joined the hunters to avenge Prowl...not to wipe out an entire species, or dominate them"

"What? You thinking of helping them?" Frenzy asked.

"I...I don't know. I never thought of myself as evil, not this evil. If I let the Autobots die...then maybe...maybe I'm no better than Bumblebee and Bulkhead for abandoning my brother"

"The high road huh?" Frenzy asked. Barricade shrugged "Well, I got your back buddy"

Barricade smiled at his little teammate.


	10. Chapter 10: Fall of the Autobots

It had been three hours since Jack's resignation from the Autobots. His anger was still profusely bubbling and he'd just gone home to say goodbye to his mother. He had questions. Questions only Arcee had answers to. And even if she didn't love him, he loved her...and had to find her.

Jack hurtled across the morning sky as the amber sun clambered over the horizon slowly. His thruster boots blasting fueled streams of smoke and fire behind him as he boosted onwards across the Nevada sky.

"I can't believe it. After all that...everything we went through, becoming goddamn Sparkmates...and she kicks me to the curb. Well you've got some answering to do Arcee...and soon. I-I need to know why you'd do this to me...why don't you love me?" he trembled, glassy eyes inside his helmet.

"Gah...I'm not mad at the Autobots. I've got a lot apologies to make. It's just...I've made mistakes sure, and everyone dwells on that. I need to prove I can do this...even if she doesn't love me, I need to find her. But where to start...Argh, I need to go back and talk to Ratchet about where she could have gone, any of them. They still know her better than me" He said as he turned around, flying back to Jasper. "Have to start somewhere"

...

"Optimus...incoming transmission from...a Decepticon?" Ratchet said, morphing it into a question with a raised eyebrow. Optimus walked over.

"What is it Ratchet? Is it Megatron? Shockwave?"

"Shockwave?! Me Grimlock hate Shockwave!" Grimlock roared, slamming his fist down like a gorilla, leaving a crumple in the ground.

"Easy tough guy, We'll get em...and you can finish him" Ironhide said as he gently pat Grimlock's arm, calming the beast as he sat back on the lip of the tank.

"Yeah...Ironhide right. Me calm self...Grimlock just hate...that...Shockwave!" He roared, grabbing a nearby tool and squashing it like it was paper. Ratchet saw, eyes widening.

"Grimlock, I needed that!"

Grimlock snarled at him, tightening his fist.

"Well...I did. I-it's yours now" Ratchet surrendered.

"Never seen the doc back off like that before" Wheeljack chuckled.

"Doc, Grimlock ain't a...err...oh what are those furry things called...you know humans have as pets?" Ironhide asked.

"A dog?" Bulkhead chuckled, dying to a sigh as he remembered that two of their team were gone.

"Right! A dog...hey Bulk, you okay?"

"I guess. Just this whole thing with Cee and Jack"

"Well maybe this Decepticon can give us some answers...who is it contacting us Ratchet?" Optimus asked. The blurry static soon formed a face and Barricade looked upon them from the screen as the static faded.

"A-Autobots! I-I-I don't haaaaaa-"

"Optimus, the message is giving interference, I'll try and clear it up, one moment" Ratchet went to work, clicking away at his terminal, glancing up occasionally at the screen.

"There..."

"Autobots! I don't have much time...Megatron has a super weapon! He is going to test it first...on you! You need to get out of there! That's all I know!" Barricade shouted, quickly turning his head to check he isn't being watched.

"How can we trust you? You've tried to kill us in the past" Jazz asked the screen. Barricade sighed and lowered his head.

"Maybe...Maybe Blackout's death taught me something about retribution. It's a weapon that only backfires. Revenge isn't the answer. And while I resent you for leaving my brother-"

"Prowl? W-we didn't leave Prowl" Bumblebee interrupted.

"What?"

"Barricade, do you actually know what happened to your brother?" Bulkhead asked.

"Well...Blitzwing told me-"

"Barricade. It was Blitzwing that killed Prowl. I tried to stay, and save him...but then Megatron got me. H-he tore out my voice box. I couldn't save him Barricade" Bumblebee lowered his head.

"W-what? Gah, that doesn't matter now. Look, you can explain some other time...and I'll hear you out, see if it sounds true. All I know is Arcee is here-"

"Arcee! Is she alive?" Ratchet asked eyes wide at the news.

"Alive and well enough to assist Megatron, look, she's not herself from what I overheard, and she's going to give the location of your base...look I gotta go. Just...go! Okay, run!" Barricade finished as the static returned.

"Well...that's going to ruin my day" Wheeljack sighed.

"Do..do we trust him?" Ratchet asked Optimus.

"For now, yes; I will not take any risks on my family, and if this super weapon is being trained on us as we speak, then it is best that we leave, split up, like years before"

"So we go our separate ways again? Protect the kids...ah teens...adults?" Bulkhead shrugged at what to call the older Rafael and Miko.

"Well Jack's gone...so it's just us Bulk...wait, what about June?" Bumblebee stated.

"I will take care of Nurse Darby Bumblebee. Everyone else leaves through the Ground Bridge, and head to different corners of the United States. If this does in fact turn out to be a Decepticon trap, everyone deactivates your trackers until further notice" Optimus explained.

"Then we all come back, right?" Jazz asked.

"Yes. Only once we know it's a hoax do we risk returning" Optimus explained.

"That's all well and good...but what do we do with him?" Ironhide asked Optimus, pointing at Grimlock. Optimus peered over at the hulk of a Cybertronian.

"We will have to send him somewhere remote...A Dinosaur isn't exactly a disguise humans recognize" Optimus stated. He walked over, crouching down to be eye level with the sat down giant. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Grimlock...I'm afraid a situation has arisen. We are required to split up, until we are certain that our base is not in jeopardy"

"Me Grimlock don't want to go...Me Grimlock...so alone. Here, me have friends" He sighed.

"Hey...it's alright. Grimlock...Your friends need your help. And to help us...we need you to go into hiding...somewhere remote until further notice.

"Optimus! I've just been running scans of objects in the Earth's orbit! A huge Satellite is lining up directly above us! Barricade wasn't lying!" Ratchet shouted as he began bridging Jazz, Ironhide and Wheeljack to safety.

"Hey Bee...stay safe, yeah?" Jazz smiled as he bumped his fist against Bee's.

"Yeah...you too Jazz"

Optimus stood up along with Grimlock.

"Ratchet, open a Bridge to the Sahara desert. Grimlock wishes to remain in the desert until we are safe, and I will also go there" Optimus startled Ratchet.

"What! Why you?"

"It is and always will be me Megatron is after. This weapon simply proves that he is willing to level continents and kill millions to destroy me. If I remain in the populated areas of America, then millions will suffer. I must go into Exile, and keep Grimlock safe" Optimus sighed.

"A-Alright. I'll take care of Nurse Darby"

"Really Ratchet? You?" Bulkhead gently and nervously chuckled.

"It's the least I can do for Jack...it's the least I owe him" he sighed.

"I admire you taking on your guilt Ratchet"

"I've also alerted Agent Fowler about evacuating Jasper. It's already underway"

"Excellent work Ratchet. Primus knows what the blast radius would be" Optimus said. "Bumblebee, Bulkhead...it's time to collect Miko and Rafael. Keep them safe at all costs. Go...quickly"

"Yes sir...stay safe Optimus" Bumblebee said with a nod from Bulkhead as they sprinted from the base, feet becoming tires with a transformation as their vehicular forms raced towards Jasper.

"Okay, Ironhide's gone...just you and Grimlock now Optimus" Ratchet sighed.

"Thank you. What about Teletraan?"

"I-I've sent him somewhere safe, somewhere he can help. Someone he can help" Ratchet said as the computer fell dormant as the soul inside vanished.

"And you will tend to Nurse Darby?"

"Yes. I'll head out immediately, and get her from the Hospital, then...gah I don't know, this all happened so quickly" Ratchet lowered his head.

"I know old friend. But now we have the upper hand. Come on...stay safe, and we'll see each other soon" They said to one another as Grimlock stomped over to the Bridge, disappearing into the green swirl.

"Goodbye Optimus old friend"

"Same to you" He looked at the portal and clenched his fists.

"Optimus wait! Your servos will erode in that sand, take this tarp to cover you" Ratchet said, handing Optimus the transformer sized hooded cloak. Optimus donned it, throwing the hood over his head and the brown long cloak bellowed around his Cybertronian feet.

"Till all are one" He sighed, walking into the swirl. Ratchet closed the bridge and looked around the empty base. He pat his hand on the bridge control and sighed, closing his eyes and heading to the exit, transforming and leaving.

...

Half an hour after the base evacuation, Megatron watched as Shockwave lined up the Satellite, Arcee smirking beside him. Starscream smiled as his plan came together, even if Megatron was at the helm. All the hunters stood against the wall, watching the satellite line up. Barricade watched, wringing his hands, hoping that his Intel paid off, and that Megatron didn't know.

"So...Arcee" Knockout cleared his throat, the crossed arm female, only raising an eyebrow at his advances. "Now you're a Decepticon, I was wondering if you'd-"

"Touch me again...and I'll take that staff of yours and shove up your exhaust. Clear?" she snarled in his ear.

"Crystal" He rubbed his neck as he backed away.

"Smooth" Bonecrusher chuckled.

"We are in position my liege" Shockwave said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Fire" Megatron chuckled as Shockwave nodded, pressing the button. The satellite tip split open and gas hissed outwards as a massive rod dropped towards the planet.

Meanwhile, Ratchet drove as fast as he could, along with Bumblebee and Bulkhead with their human passengers. June strapped in tight, looking in the rear view mirror at the town of Jasper getting further away, evacuations still underway as Helicopters lifted off.

"Ratchet, thank you for collecting me. Is Jack safe?"

"I...I don't know Nurse Darby. You were the last to see him"

"He said goodbye...and just left. Flew off int hat suit of yours. He said he needed to find Arcee"

"We all do" Ratchet sighed.

Suddenly a black rod hummed through the atmosphere, traveling downwards at immense speed, slamming into the hanger which they once called their home. A shock wave erupted outwards and the earth lifted upwards like a whipped sheet. The rippling ground kept erupting as Jasper rolled over and turned into a tsunami of earth and concrete. Small dots of color exploded and flipped cars as they fell from the rising and sinking ground. Helicopters suddenly began swirling out of control as the shock wave hit them.

An earth shattering bang hit Ratchet, Bumblebee and Bulkhead, the blast of air, knocking and rolling them into a nearby ditch, crashing with June, Miko and Raf aboard the trio. Their rolling vehicular forms crushed and crashed, slowly forming rolling bodies.

From space, a huge crater erupted outwards as the Uranium rod impacted.

"The Autobots are deceased my lord" Shockwave stated, not picking up any of their transmitters or beacons.

"It's done" Arcee smiled.

"Not yet. Shockwave, patch me through to every computer, every screen on Earth"

"Yes sir...Soundwave, a little help" Soundwave walked over, barging past Arcee.

...

On Earth, every single major city stopped as their advertisement screens, their televisions blared Megatron's face.

"Earthlings! I am you new emperor of Destruction! Lord Megatron! You will cower before me, as I have a weapon in orbit that is trained on every major city. Any attempt to assault will end in Millions of deaths. I have already tested it on the town of Jasper. Look at the destruction!" He shouted as the screen showed an aerial view of the destruction.

People began to scream and run as countless Vehicons arrived from ground bridges to every major city. London, under their control, Manhattan, Washington, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, the list goes on. All under Decepticon rule.

"And any attempt to flee will trigger the device. If even one human leaves a city, then the satellite will rain hell down on you all. Nuclear winter, as you Earthlings refer to it"

"I own Earth now! The Decepticons own Earth! Cower humans! We have won! Oh, and if any Autobots have survived, I want them found and terminated. I suggest your human armies work on finding these Autobots" He said as the screen displayed their faces.

"Any attempt to harbor these...fugitives will end in annihilation. The age of Megatron, has begun!"

...

June awoke with a shudder and gasp, lying in the bed of the sunken ditch. Smoke filled the air and charred trees stood over her in the silent windless air. She looked up with a murmur as the grey sky swirled above. The deafening silence was unbreakable. She groaned as she went to sit up, only to feel a force of excruciating pain push her back down.

She looked at the source, her heart thumping faster and a panicked cry escaping her mouth as she saw a large splinter of metal erupting from her side. She pulled on the green nurses scrub fabric, revealing the deep eruption around the wound, bruising and blood seeping. She sat up with a cry of pain, her hair ruffled and a cut on her forehead seeping blood down to her brow, dripping onto the ground. She exhaled as she pulled on the metal, not budging, only a fiery pain screaming from under her boiling skin. She stopped pulling, knowing it would be safer to leave it in than bleed to death. She cried out in unbearable agony as she released her grip, leaving the metal shard inside her.

She carefully clambered to her tired, jangly feet as she surveyed the area. Wrecked Helicopters littered the ground and charred bodied freckled and dotted the land. Smoke plumed upwards from behind a huge crease in the ground, ripped up tarmac laying everywhere. She clambered out from the ditch, crying out in sheer pain as she staggered up onto the ground. She looked around, Ratchet lying in Robot form on the ground not far away, face down and lifeless.

"Ratch-ah-Ratchet!" She shouted as she limped over to him. He moaned and grumbled as he sat up, shaking his head and gently rolling over to face the sky with a roar of pain. His blue optics shuddered open and he heavily sighed, looking over at Nurse Darby, holding her side in unbearable agony.

"June...your side" He mumbled as he started to close his optics.

"Hey...stay awake" She struggled as she dropped to her knees.

"We have to...sta..stay..." She closed her eyes and fell forward with a groan and slumped to the floor. Ratchet closed his eyes and his clenched fist unraveled. Nearby Bumblebee awoke, his hand open with a cut and bruised Raf in it. His blue optics widened.

"Raf! Hold on buh...buddy" he struggled as he scooped him up and held him against his chest as he sat up from the ditch, seeing June and Ratchet a few yards away, unconscious. Bulkhead groaned as he too, sat up. His hands were empty as he rubbed his face.

"Arghh...Miko...Miko! Where are you?" He shouted, looking around, seeing her yards away under a sheet of debris. He got up, limping over and pulling metal off of her, only a cut to her forehead luckily. She stirred.

"Ahh...wha...what happened?"

"Always where your seat belt Miko!" Bulkhead nervously laughed.

"I...I did...you transformed Bulk" She sighed weakly.

"We...we've gotta move. Bee?"

"Raf won't wake up, w-we need a hospital! For all of them!" Bumblebee stammered.

"We will. There's one not far from Jasper right? The small town on the outskirts, just a mile up that road" Bulkhead pointed into the distance. Suddenly a roar of jet engines sounded and Vehicon scouts flew over the massive crate of Jasper.

"We need to go. Bumblebee, grab June, gently" Ratchet stirred as he held his head, barely managing to sit up.

"Doc, you're okay!" Bumblebee shouted with glassy eyes.

"Of course...gah my head!" Ratchet sighed as he held his head.

"Come on hurry...she isn't well" He said, gently cupping the unconscious nurse and slowly transforming around her, tired to his core. With a flat tire, Ratchet slowly churned forward. Bulkhead transformed around Miko, a cracked windscreen and charred paint job. Bumblebee morphed around his unconscious human partner, a smashed windscreen and cracked wheel rim making the cars limp forward. They headed away from the smouldering crater of Jasper.


	11. Chapter 11: Even heroes fall

Jack's eyes murmured open as blood trickled along his brow, still inside the dark helmet and still hurtling through the air. Moonlight shone upon him and frost had formed on the armor and visor, though it was toasty warm inside.

_Sir! Sir, wake up! _A familiar voice sounded inside the helmet, HUD flickering as power was failing.

"Ahhh...my head" Jack groaned. "What...wait...where..."

_Sir? Sir, you're awake! Thank primus._

"Teletraan? W-what are you..."

_Ratchet uploaded me to your suit sir. I am with you now, since the base was destroyed._

"What! The base? Arghh, why is my head bleeding and throbbing? And why is the suit cutting out?" He questioned as the boosting feet spluttered as Energon reserves began to diminish.

_Sir, do you not remember? You went back to the Autobot base when the rod struck. Megatron's super weapon annihilated Jasper. Debris erupted upwards and hit your head knocking you unconscious and damaging the suit. Luckily Ratchet had already uploaded me to the suit, so I took control and flew us here._

"J-Jasper? Mom!" He cried out.

_I overheard Ratchet and Optimus speaking about taking them as far away from Jasper as possible before I was uploaded to you, sir. I'm 95.6% certain she and the others are fine._

Jack looked around at the snowy ground and moon filled sky. Suddenly the thrusters cut out completely.

"Uh-oh" Was all Jack could muster as he dropped from the cold night sky, plummeting to the white earth below.

_Brace sir_

"Whaaaaaarghh!" Jack cried with wide eyes as he struck the side of a tall tree, snapping it in two. He hurtled out of control, scraping along the tarmac of a small one lane road, sparks flying, narrowly missing a car as it screeched to halt. Finally the boy slammed into the snow, hurtling along the ground out of control, clipping a tree again and finally coming to stop in the forest, face down in the snow.

"Arghh...god that hurt" Jack groaned as he sat up with a groan, the suit failing as sparks illuminated from the joints as they whirred. He groaned as he rolled over facing the sky, filled with clumps of clotted clouds, snowflakes falling around him. He lay looking at the stars as they vanished behind the clouds.

"Who am I kidding Teletraan? She doesn't love me anymore, maybe she never did"

_Sir, don't say that. Arcee has contracted Basil-_

"I mean, she used to say about how she wanted to live together for the rest of my life, and I wanted that too. She's never meant it" He shook his head as the helmet failed, clipping open and sliding away into the suit collar.

_Sir, she has a case of severe Ven- _

"Teletraan...where are we?" Jack interrupted looking around at the night lit snow forest.

_Alaska, sir_

Jack's jaw dropped and eyes widened. "Why the hell are we in Alaska?"

_Optimus's orders sir. Take you as far away and safe as possible. The Decepticons own all major cities now...Sir, they own the world. We lost._

"So he got you to send me all the way out here, In the middle of nowhere?"

_A small town where the Decepticons would never find you_

"Well maybe Optimus was right. I can start a new life here, just me...well, and you. Move on" He sighed as he sat up from the snow, the suit opening and falling off of him, unleashing the bitter cold upon him. He visually shuddered.

"hoowah that is brisk!" He shuddered as fog escaped his lips. He wrapped his arms around himself. "Okay. How far is this town?"

_One mile due north sir_

"Well, we best get walking" He said as he pulled his hood up and shuddered once more before standing and wiping the blood from his forehead. The suit closed up into the cube, locking tight as Jack picked it up, frozen to the touch. He pulled his sleeves over his fingers as protection and held it in his grip, treading large exhausting steps through the soaking cold snow.

"So you're in the suit now?"

_Yes sir. The suit and I are dangerously low on Energon, but Ratchet converted us so we can refuel on electricity, and convert it to a form of Energon. _

"So If I could get a car battery, you could use that?"

_I guess_

"Wait, you're guessing now?" Jack chuckled as he stepped over fallen trees.

_Like I said sir, I'm low on Energon. Anything's a guess now_

"Ha. You're alright Teletraan"

_Thank you sir_

"First thing we do in this town, is find a garage, and then a car battery" Jack said as he approached the same road he skimmed over, clearing the tree line and placing the cube on his back before waving to an oncoming truck. The headlights blared, blinded him and squinted his view as it hissed, pulling over.

The huge eighteen-wheeler stopped, Jack seeing a long trailer of logs in tow. The white and blue paint deco on the cab was pristine and the chrome exhausts sparkled in the night moon glow.

"Where ya headin?" The driver said as he pushed the passenger door open.

"Nearest town, if you're going that way, I don't want to stop you from getting your haul done" Jack said to him.

"Wouldn't have stopped if I didn't want to help; I can drop you there, climb on up" The grey mustached man said as he threw some things from the seat into the back of the cab. Jack nodded with a smile as he clambered up inside the tall truck, slamming the door behind him, feeling the warmth of the man's truck.

"Real nice truck man, beautiful" Jack said as the man pulled back onto the road, spinning the wheel through his fingers.

"Yeah, she's a beaut" he smirked from under the mustache. "Mind if I flick on the radio? Wanna hear about these aliens"

"Your truck buddy" Jack smirked as he leaned back in the seat. The radio crackled to life.

_Washington DC is being referred to as ground zero since the leader of these aliens called Decepticons has seized it for his base of operations. No one has been able to get in or out of any of the major cities, and as a punishment for one women's attempt to flee Moscow, a Uranium rod was dropped on a town outside of Ukraine, killing three thousand. She was also killed by relatives of some of the people in that town._

The truck driver shook his head and Jack sighed, rubbing his eyes. He couldn't believe Megatron had won.

_Military efforts have been made to apprehend and kill the surviving Autobots. One Autobot has been apprehended and is being held hostage in Washington DC, one Megatron referred to as Wheeljack. _

"No...Wheeljack" Jack said under his breath.

_If...If these so called Autobots, the one thing that this Megatron and his Decepticons fear are still alive...p-please help us. Please survive our scared military and help us! Please!_

The radio went silent, the man simply exhaling through his lips.

"Time we all moved on I reckon. Learn to live under em. Live out here, no one'll bother ya" the man said as he stopped at the edge of the town. "Here we go buddy. Look, take care of yourself" he smiled, shaking Jack's hand.

"Yeah, you too" He smiled back, hopping out of the truck, heading into the town. "We can't win this...can we teletraan? God knows where the Autobots are, if at all alive. Teletraan?" He questioned getting no response from the cube.

"Ah come on buddy...come back...you're all I got"

Once again no voice returned as the Energon depleted cube was deathly silent. Jack felt alone. Lost, unloved. He looked up at the sound of glass smashing and cheering, followed by doors bursting open and someone getting tossed into the snow.

"Stay out! You drunken oaf" The barman shouted, dusting his hands off and walking back inside. Jack lowered his head and walked over to a phone booth. after tapping in the numbers he knew off by heart, he rang the number, only getting through to the answer machine.

"Hi you've reached the answer machine of June Darby! Please leave a message after the beep!"

Jack lifted his head up and rested it on his wrist, as not to cry, fearing the worst. he shut his eyes tight and sighed, reopening them and lifting the phone back to his ear.

"Look...mom. I've got a lot of apologies to make. To Optimus...to you...To everyone really. I-I just want you to know how sorry I am..." he started to cry as his words slurred and trembled. "...I'm so sorry mom. But it's over. There's nothing I can do...I-I don't know what to do!" he heard the tone sound and he was out of coins for the phone.

"...its over" Jack sighed, as he headed to the bar.

...

Ratchet and the other two Autobots slowly limped across the wasteland of Nevada. Ratchet hobbled on his burst rear tire, occasionally transforming against his will, dropping to his knees and hands, June falling from him in agonizing pain. She hit the concrete with a gasp as she clutched her metal pierced abdomen, writhing in unbelievable pain.

"Arghhh...forgive me June" He groaned as he scooped her up, clambering to his weak exhausted feet. He cradled her like a baby, limping onwards as the two other Autobots drove on.

"Ratchet? You holding up?" Bulkhead asked back. Ratchet simply nodded.

"mmm, yes, yes" he grumbled in pain. Bulkhead transformed, gently holding the tired injured Miko in his huge hand, walking over to Ratchet and wrapping his other arm around him, helping the doctor walk.

"I've gotcha doc" Bulk smiled at him, getting a weak smile back.

Soon they reached the hospital, Ratchet collapsing along with Bulkhead. Bumblebee drove up to the entrance with June and the kids, doctors rushing out and tending to them, taking them inside, amass the hundreds of other injured.

"Come on Ratchet. We've done our part" Bulk said as he knew Miko was safe.

"No!" he shrugged Bulk off. "I need to stay...make sure Nurse Darby...Rafael...M-Miko are alright. Our auto repair functions should kick in soon...I'll be fine. I must stay...and watch over this hospital"

"Ratchet...are you sure?"

"Yes Bulkhead. I promised Optimus...Jack...I must make sure they stay safe. I will protect this hospital" Ratchet vowed as he transformed and laid his tired wheels against a parking spot. His headlights shut off.

"I...I'll be fine...after some well needed rest"

"Stay safe" Bulkhead said as he pat the top of the Ambulance, Bumblebee driving up beside him.

"Hey...Bulk what's going on?"

"Ratchet'll stay. Watch over the kids and June. We need to get back into the fight, we need to move!" Bulkhead said as he shifted back into his SUV mode, damaged and scuffed, gasping in pain as he did. "Tell Miko I'll be back...and to be strong"

"Goodbye Raf...h-hang in there okay? W-we got a rematch to play" Bumblebee stuttered with unseen glassy eyes.

...

The heated sun of the Sahara beat down onto the shifting desert sands and tall dunes of liquid like dust, surging beneath huge mechanical toes. A tall hood cloaked figure walked, shielding his hidden face with his wrist, dwarfed by a taller, beefier figure, walking through the heavy torrent of dust storm.

"Grimlock! W-we need...argh" Optimus groaned as he dropped to his eroding knees. Grimlock turned back, helping him up.

"Get up Optimus. Me Grimlock help" He wrapped his arm around Optimus' shoulders.

"Ahh...Thank you old friend; we need shelter" He mustered as the huge Dinobot shielded the Prime from the constant barrage of sand.

"Agree. Look!" He shouted as he pointed his huge finger at distant mountains and caves.

"Excellent find Grimlock. We have to move" Optimus groaned as he stood up, his tarp cloak bellowing as he continued onwards with the titan Dinobot watching over him.

"Optimus. Me Grimlock worried" the huge bot sighed as he clubbed his hands together.

"About-argh-what my friend?" Optimus groaned as he staggered along the sloshing sand.

"Everyone. How can me fight back against Decepticons who have this planet?" Grimlock asked as he looked down at the Prime.

"We stand together...and fight till we fall"

"Do you think we will...fall?"

"Even heroes fall" Optimus sighed.


	12. Chapter 12: Rock bottom, rising up

A month after the fall of Jasper and the Decepticon's success in seizing Earth, Arcee stood menacingly smirking at her blades as she sharpened them in Knockout's laboratory.

"Oh Arcee, you could do with a buffing" Knockout chuckled as he looked at her faded blue and pink paint. He went to pat her shoulder, when she snarled.

"Try it. I'll cut it off"

"Well, you try and be friendly" Knockout rolled his eyes.

"I don't need friends. Friends are liabilities" she said as she kept working the blade along the sharpening wheel, sparks flying upwards.

Meanwhile, in Washington, directly below the hovering Nemesis, Bonecrusher issued the curfew, driving along the streets in his menacing Buffalo mode.

"Go to your homes, or perish!" He shouted from the six wheeled monster.

Megatron sat upon the Lincoln memorial, having blasted the body away and made his thrown, looking out through the pillars at the once towering Washington monument, now torn down replaced with a titanic statue of Megatron, fist proud in the air.

"Yes! I finally won! Look upon this Starscream, how these humans cower!"

Barricade looked out across it all, wondering why he joined the Decepticons at all.

"Yes yes. All very impressive, but aren't you wondering how the Autobots knew we were going to fire the weapon?" Starscream asked.

"I already know...thanks to Soundwave. Barricade..." He turned to face the small hunter, wringing his hands with Frenzy in tow "I had Soundwave review some of our outgoing messages, and low and behold...one was found from you...sent to the Autobots. Now tell me, how did they escape the impossible odds of that impact alive?" his teeth and eyes flaring.

"Err, I...I"

"Exactly. Utterly speechless aren't you" Megatron stood up, facing the Mustang transformer.

"So Barricade...for your lowly betrayal, shall I shoot you through the optic...or the spark?" He asked as he aimed his cannon at him. "Any last words?"

"Err...yeah. Smile and wait for the flash" He smirked. Megatron raised an eyebrow as Frenzy emerged from Barricades chest, blasting Megatron with a flash bang, stunning the warlord. Barricade turned, transforming and racing off as Megatron, blurry eyed, fired randomly at the escaping hunter.

"Gaaah! My optics!" Megatron roared.

"He isn't worth it my lord. Now it's just the loyalists who remain" Starscream smirked, waiting for his moment to enact revenge.

"I suppose. I do have this entire world to rule now, and its humans" Megatron sneered as he sat back in his thrown, gripping the solid arm rests.

"Megatron, I'm going for a drive" Arcee stated as she left the Nemesis by Ground Bridge, driving off past the memorial.

"Oh? Where to Arcee?" He snarled.

"Where I please Megatron" She snarled back, simply making Megatron laugh.

"She is an interesting teammate, one who has given us useful intelligence on the Autobots"

"She is my finest gift to you my liege"

"And you have done well Starscream, I doubted you to early. You are as Deceptive and diabolical as they come" Megatron said as he admired the view.

"Oh you have no idea my lord...no idea" He smirked villainously.

Arcee raced along the road alone. Suddenly a jolt to her mind sent her transforming and rolling along the ground. She sat up, shaking her head and rubbing her red eyes.

"Gah! What the? Who's Jack?" Why does he keep saying he loves me? I have no need or time for love!" She snarled as her mind was still connected to her Sparkmate.

It soon wore off and she stood up, staggering slightly from the flashing visions of her real self, hidden under masses of Venom. She soon resumed her journey as she walked along the long empty road.

She suddenly stopped at the sound of movement. She was now long away from DC's center, Megatron's monument out of sight. She gazed around with red eyes. A figure emerged at her height from the darkness of an alleyway. Jazz's blue visor tinted in the light and he smirked.

"Boo" He whispered as Arcee lunged at him, Jazz raising his arms in defense.

"So it's true huh? That Venom's...got you working... for old Megatron" Jazz said between defensive blocks, Arcee's wrist blades slicing on his.

"Gah...Arcee! Try to think! We are not...your enemies. It's me Jazz, your friend!"

"Arcee has no need of friends!" She snarled as she swung her boot around and slammed it against Jazz's head, sending him flying through the air and sliding along the tarmac.

"Arcee, I don't wanna hurt you, but you've got me steamed" He said, staggering to his feet and assuming a battle stance.

"Well then...let the massacre begin" She smirked evilly, lunging at Jazz, his incredible fighting style blocking every one of her lightning fast hits.

"Why...show up...at Megatron's...city?" She shouted at him, hitting and slicing at him. Jazz swung round, missing a lethal swoop of her bladed arm.

"I had...to find you...save you...for Jack"

"Who's Jack?" She roared, demanding answers. Jazz raised an optic ridge.

"How...can you...not know?" He shouted as he blocked her vicious attacks. Her boot came around and hit his chest, pushing him back. If they breathed air, he'd be winded. He gazed up at her optics. She was pacing, on all fours, snarling and growling like a tiger. Her red eyes were glowing and twitching, her teeth flaring. Around her optics, the silver skin looked bruised, blackened from the spreading venom. Jazz sighed in horror as he raised his arms in defense.

"What has happened to you?" He asked her in despair. She roared back like a lion, pacing with her back arched.

"You know...outside the obvious" Jazz shrugged. She lunged, blades spinning as this monstrous femme bot attacked him. He blocked every hit, occasionally getting a few in, just to hold her off.

"What's...the matter...Cee? Not as fast...as you think...you are?" He taunted, still remembering it was her as to not fight back and possibly hurt her.

"I'm...fast...enough...for you!" She shouted, landing an upper cut that Jazz did not expect, once again sending him falling backwards. He groaned as he pushed up, only to have a huge foot push down on his back, pinning him down. Bonecrusher laughed as he spun his wheel in his foot, grinding it up Jazz's back in agony.

"Nice job Arcee. Megatron will be happy with a new captive" Bonecrusher laughed as he looked down at Jazz, him looking up at them as Arcee crossed her arms and put her weight on her hip, smirking down at Jazz.

"Cee...please"

"Lights out. See you at dawn" She grinned, slamming her heel on his head, knocking Jazz unconscious.

"Take him to Wheeljack" Arcee ordered. Bonecrusher scoffed, poking a huge index finger on her shoulder.

"And who put _you_ in charge?"

She poked back, sarcastically widening her eyes. "I did" She said with a whisper. "Now get to it"

Bonecrusher squared up to her, much bigger than her. "Know your place...Bot" He whispered, just as terrifying. He walked past her, dragging Jazz behind him.

Arcee watched him leave, dragging Jazz. She dropped her smirk and sighed, holding her right upper arm and running her fingers along its smooth metal exterior. Her red eyes illuminated in the low light of approaching night.

"Who's Jack?" She said to herself.

...

One months later, and the snow covered town in Alaska welcomed a blacked out SUV, parking up with a braking screech. A man stepped out of the vehicle, shuddering at the change in temperature. He straightened his tie and made for the bar, careful not to slip on the ice.

As the man walked inside, people's cheering and conversations grew louder. The amber glow of the lights lit the night time bar and glass bottle bottoms clanging on wooden tables sounded almost in a rhythm. He scanned the room, spotting a hunched over man in a grey Hoodie sat at the bar. The barman plopped a new full bottle of beer in front of him, the black haired man nodding and grasping the bottle.

As the man approached the hooded figure, he sat beside him.

"So...this is where you're gonna find her? The bottom of a bottle?" Fowler said as he sits beside the now rugged, worn out Jack, a thick black stubbly beard across his chin and top lip. A long slither of black hair stretched down across his left eye from under the hood draped over his brow. He lowered the bottle from his lips and sighed as he quenched his thirst.

"How'd you find me?" Jack sighed.

"Ah, well working for me and the bots has made you easy to track...to keep an eye on. So, why aren't you out there, fighting?"

"What's the use? Three months I've been here and no one's bothered me...except for drunken assholes" Jack grumbled. Fowler rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Can I get a beer please?" Fowler looked to the barman. "Jack, you've gotta come back. What in Sam Hill's name are you doing? Huh?"

"Avoiding it all" He simply said as he swigged the beer again.

"Look, Jack. She needs you. I need you. With the Autobots gone and in disarray, we're helpless"

"She doesn't need me" He scoffed before he swigged the beer again.

"You're wrong. Ever since Arcee got that blasted venom in her system she's been-"

"whoa...what? Venom?" Jack's eyes widened and he looked over.

"Y-you don't know? She contracted some kind of...cyber snake venom and it made her evil, basically" Fowler explained before taking a sip of his own beer. Jack lowered his and stared blankly at the wall behind the bar, covered in hundreds of different bottles.

"So everything she said...it wasn't her?"Jack sighed a slight smile of relief "She still loves me" he mouthed.

"No...It was the venom talking Jack. Look, we need you back"

"Fowler, even if I wanted to, I couldn't"

"Why not? Your mom is safe and sound at a hospital along with Miko and Rafael. For Uncle Sam's sake Jack, we need you! We need to figure out Megatron's game plan. He owns everything and has a weapon of mass destruction aimed on everything" Fowler shook his head drinking the nectar of alcohol. "I mean we have an entire military force that I can't talk out of killing the bots, where ever they're hiding and -"

Jack's eyes opened wide and he set the bottle down. "He's bluffing" He scoffed as he realized, a smile creasing his mouth.

"W-what?"

"Think about it...how could he have a weapon that size trained on every single city in the world all at once? Impossible since the Earth rotates. No one can see it...all he has to do is lie"

Fowler smiled as he stood up, patting Jack's shoulder. "I told you we needed you. I know you'll do the right thing" he set his bottle down.

"How'd you know that?" Jack scoffed swigging down the last of his beer ordering another, seconds later having a bottle slide over to him.

"I know you. And I know you now have something to fight for"

"Like what?"

"You know damn well what...Arcee. Go on kid, go save her. I know you can. You got that suit, you got your bravery...you got your heart" He said, patting Jack's chest.

"Or, you can stay in this bar and waste away...and drink your sorrows away. I know you'll make the right call. Stay safe kid, and do the right thing, no matter what. I gotta get back to it" Fowler walked away, hoping he did get through to him. Jack shook his head, the frown returning as he lifted up his beer, but the taste was made bitter by Fowler's words. He was right. Jack had to get back into the game. He sighed as Fowler's SUV drove off. He still had a fight to be a part of.

Jack looked down at the bottle. He exhaled and slammed it down, refusing to drink anymore.

"Danny. Thanks for giving me somewhere to stay warm...and err drunk" He got up and walked towards the bar exit. He walked boldly through the swinging double doors, the cold not even faltering him, his beard keeping him warm.

Jack walked along the street of old brick and wood buildings and one way streets. He turned a corner, hood over his head and hands in pockets. His mind was full of madness. Arcee still loved him, always did, but she was under venom control and Decepticon reign. The Autobots where scattered, he was alone...not for long he wasn't.

Jack unlocked the freezing cold metal padlock on a garage door and lifted the flimsy metal door, swooping under it and stepping inside. An old car lay to rust away, and a mirror sat slanted on the wall. A few bare essentials littered the ground and a cheap fold out bed was his home for three months, the worst of his life. Then he saw the table and under a sheet was the cube. With a swift tug, he pulled the tarp off and he looked it over and rubbed a hand over the smooth spot where an Autobot logo was. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Fowlers right. What the hell am I doing? I always wanted to prove to the bots that I can do anything. Time to really prove it...by doing it" He said as he clapped his hands and rubbed them, looking down at a car battery and grabbing the cables, looking over the cube and finding somewhere to attach it. After a few minutes of looking he found two ports, slotting them in and hearing the buzz of electricity passing over.

He let the suit and Teletraan charge, as for the first time in months he took out his phone, very low on battery. He flicked it open and made himself look at Arcee's gorgeous face beaming at him. She had a smile that simply melted his heart and also gave him the determination to carry on. He needed that boost. He nodded to himself as he flicked the phone shut.

"I'm coming sweetheart" He smirked.

Jack walked over to a nearby mirror, gazing at it and his rough appearance. He sighed and stroked his chin before taking a deep inhale and exhale, picking up the razor from his bare essentials, a toothbrush and paste, along with foam. He lathered up his face in the reflection of the dirty mirror. Low light from the swinging lamp above made it hard to properly see, but he made do as the white foam layered his chin. He took the razor and began slowly dragging down his face, revealing the Jack that everyone knew, the Jack he knew and the Jack that Arcee loved. He smiled to himself as his ego was lifted from rock bottom.

After half an hour of shaving and cleaning his face with snow melt water he had collected, he walked over to the cube, yawning as he did and stretching.

_Power at 100% Hello again sir. I feel fresh_

"Yeah. Me too buddy" Jack smiled as he pressed down on the cube, it opened up and the suit began to form around him, still damaged from his crash landing months prior.

_Sir, while power is at optimal levels, I recommend letting the suit begin it's auto repair cycle. _

"No time. We've got a Decepticon threat to stop, and to do that I'm going to need information. I need to know where Arcee is"

_Sir, i hold no such information on her current location. I feel like I have been depleted for a long time._

"You have bud. I-I hit rock bottom. But we're back now. Let's just say I got an ego boost" He smirked as the damaged suit latched around him, locking tight.

_Ready to fly sir, but where to?_

"Well, we're going to need information on Arcee, I don't have the power to fly to every city on the planet, so we need to find out exactly where she is" he rubbed his smooth chin with his armored gloved hand.

_Sir, may I recommend checking somewhere where they were able to track and beat you wherever the Autobots went. From what Ratchet has updated me on, they were quite the fanatical human monsters. _

"M.E.C.H? Hmm, well they always managed to find me and Cee, Why not? You know where to go?"Jack shrugged as the damaged and scarred helmet slid up and connected together over his face and head. The visor illuminated bright stretched, making sure the suit was still just as flexible.

_I have past missions on record, over eighty different locations noted for emergency, sir. Shall I update your HUD for the abandoned Kamchatka Peninsula in Eastern Russia?_

"If that's where we can access one of their computers and find this information, let's do it. I'm sure they've got files on all our friends. Cee's the one I need" He smiled inside the helmet as blue light hummed bight, the HUD updating a long arching blue beam upwards into the night sky as he stepped out of the garage into the night town, stomping in the snow. A little boy looked out his window in awe, opening it with a thump and shouting to Jack.

"Hey!"

Jack looked up in his full suit at the boy.

"Are you a hero, one of those Autobots? Are you going to save the day?" He said with a big cheeky smile and dimples. Jack nodded.

"Yeah...something like that" He said as his boots blasted him off into the night sky, finally leaving the town. An arch of smoke and fire made him look like a missile launch as he headed off at hurtling great speed towards Russia.

"Next stop...Russia" he sighed.

_We should have enough fuel, sir._

"Another guess"? Jack chuckled.

_More an estimation._

"That's still a guess" Jack laughed, even making Teletraan chuckle.


	13. Chapter 13: MECH's insanity

Optimus sat on the lip of the cave looking out over the setting sun of the Sahara desert for well over the sixtieth time. He sighed and rubbed the ridge of his optics. Grimlock sat beside him, powered down and occasionally jolting as his mind wondered.

Optimus let out a faint smile at him, only for it to fall as he looked back at the desert. His cloak tarp bellowed in the wind and his hood draped over his glowing optics. His mind wondered to how he had failed the people of earth. He swore to protect them, but Megatron won. He knew that this had to end with Megatron's death. He was here in the gigantic civilization less Sahara, and he could end it all, without having to worry about any human casualties caught in the fray.

"This ends here" he vowed quietly, reactivating his communicator.

"Megatron, I know you are on this frequency. It is me you want, so you can come and find me. I am in the Sahara Desert...and I await your arrival. You must be stopped...no matter the cost"

Optimus sat silently as he waited for his once long time friend and now arch enemy's response.

"I'll see you soon Optimus..." Megatron's voice returned. The frequency died and Optimus dropped his shoulders and sighed. He knew that his anger had gotten the better of him and made him make that call, but he was in a perfectly population less zone where no one bar him could be hurt, and maybe with Megatron away, others could retake Washington. He stood from the cave as the sun set below the dunes, amber light turning dark blue.

Optimus stood tall as his cloak bellowed. His paint was faded from the sand storms. He looked down at Grimlock as he slept.

"Stay safe Grimlock" Optimus walked out of the cave into the soon to be night time desert.

...

Bulkhead and Bumblebee were fully repaired by their automated functions after nearly three months. They drove fast across the empty tarmac of a road towards the outskirts of Nevada. Trees swung in the wind and grass slowly began to emerge as they left orange desert.

"Bulk, I just listened to the radio. Wheeljack and Jazz are captured, and-"

"Incoming truck. Keep an eye on it Bee" Bulk interrupted, both of them braking at the sound approaching around the cliff. Bulkhead and Bee pulled over, parking on the side of the road. Bumblebee transformed, hopping over into the tall bushes and aiming quietly, waiting. For the last few months they'd been avoiding human militaries that were desperate to survive and follow Megatron's orders of killing or capturing the Autobots, and of course Decepticons.

Suddenly the mud splattered torso of a red pickup truck raced around the corner.

"Ironhide! False alarm Bee" Bulkhead transformed as Ironhide screeched to a halt, his legs folding out and arms slamming down into the tarmac as he too stood up. Bumblebee walked out of the tree line smiling at the other Wrecker.

"Hey Bee. Thank Primus you guys made it" he smiled as he pat Bulk's shoulder.

"Yeah...where'd you go?"

"Trying to find Wheeljack and Jazz. You know where they are?"

Bumblebee and Bulkhead lowered their heads. "Megatron has them" Bulk sighed.

"Then we go get em. Where are they being held?" he primed his arm cannons.

"Last time I heard anything...it's Washington DC" Bumblebee said.

"Great...just fragging great. That's Decepticon HQ!"

"Well...so was the Nemesis. That didn't stop us. At least we're starting to gather our numbers again" Bulkhead shrugged.

"That you are" A familiar voice sounded from behind. An Ambulance stopped behind Bulkhead, transforming into the repaired and pristine Ratchet. He smiled at the sight of the other Autobots.

"Ratchet! You made it!" Ironhide said, grabbing him in a hug and lifting him off the ground.

"Ah! My chest! Iron-ah-hide I needed that" He gasped as Ironhide dropped him.

"Sorry Doc. Where you been?"

"Watching over the hospital. But Fowlers back and he assures me that the hospital is safe. Nurse Darby's safe and healing well. Agent Fowlers got his forces guarding the hospital and...Here I am"

Bulkhead lowered his head along with Bee in horror and shock. "P-please tell me...Miko?"

"Raf...please?"

Ratchet scoffed as he stepped aside. "Ask them yourself" as the two teens approached. Both their guardians smiled with huge grins and dove over, grabbing their human friends in hugs.

"Miko! I was so worried" Bulkhead said as he held her, tight enough for it to be affecting and not too tight that she'd need another hospital trip.

"I'm fine Bulk! See?" She flicked out her phone and showed Bulk pictures of them in bandages at the hospital. "All better"

Raf and Bee hugged. "Primus Raf...I was distraught"

"I know Bee...but I'm fine, honest...we've got a rematch to win, right?" the boy pushed his glasses up. Bumblebee smiled to him.

"That we do...so how do we get to Washington?" Ironhide slammed his fists together.

"No, no, no. That is the Decepticon's base of operations. Besides, I don't have a bridge, a base of our own...we are literally all we've got" Ratchet shrugged. Raf stepped into the circle of huge bots.

"Okay...well we've got four Autobots, two humans...we can do something right?"

"Yeah...like what?" scoffed Ratchet.

"Wish we had Optimus...Grimlock could come in handy, hell even Jack" Bulkhead sighed.

"Where is Jack?" Miko asked.

"No one's seen him since before Jasper got...you know...ka-boom" Ironhide mimicked explosions with his huge mechanical hands.

"Thank you for the display Ironhide. I gave him the suit and Teletraan. Hopefully...he's onto something" Ratchet said. Raf rubbed his round chin and pushed on the nose of his glasses.

"Okay...right. Ratchet, before you guys all left for Cybertron four years ago, you had bridge tech, right?"

"Well of course, but I moved it all to the Hanger base and...well ka-boom" he mimicked Ironhide.

"See?" Ironhide chuckled as he nudged Bulk.

"All of it?"

"Yes I moved everything that survived Omega One, the hanger...even..." Ratchet's eyes widened.

"What...what?" Miko bounced as they looked at the doctor.

"I believe I have an idea..." Ratchet smirked.

...

In eastern Russia, a man rocketed overhead, a trail of fluffy condensation erupting around him as he broke the sound barrier.

_Sir, we are on 68% power. I recommended recharging before we attempt our journey back. No doubt we will encounter resistance in this base_

"Yeah...good call. But first, we take this place. So where is it?"

_A small abandoned train track tunnel. Approaching now, prepare to land. _

Inside a huge open courtyard, a massive volcano fuming in the distance, Jack touched down, slamming done on his knee with a huge clang. The suit was covered in damage, scratched and scuffed, even full blown scorch holes. He stood up and looked around the abandoned array of identical grey apartment blocks. A destroyed statue was stood on its crumpled base in the center of the courtyard. Building's were crumbled and even collapsed from Bulkhead and Breakdown's grudge match.

"Okay Teletraan, shall we?"

_After you, sir._

Jack smirked inside the helmet as he walked towards the tunnel entrance, smashed and dented open from Bulkhead years prior. He carefully shimmed in, arm blaster raised.

"Not looking like M.E.C.H still owns the place"

_Maybe they couldn't afford the rent sir._

Jack chuckled, a metallic tint to his voice from the helmet. "You're getting better at jokes Teletraan"

_I wasn't joking sir. It seems that M.E.C.H has abandoned this base. I'm not picking up any life signals on radar._

"Okay then. Let's find that console. And pray it still wor-" suddenly a bullet whizzed over him.

"We will be reborn! Machine and flesh fused in one glorious future! M.E.C.H forever!" One of these fanatical men cried.

_Sir, I could not see their life signatures, they may have tested some of Breakdown's stolen technology on themselves. I...I don't know sir. It seems these are desperate members of M.E.C.H. They seem more fanatical._

"Yeah...they do. Alright hold on Teletraan. Lock onto them, I'll shoot them"

_Yes sir_

Jack fired at them, the bodies jerking back from Jack's lethal blaster hits. Some of them erupted in sparks and fell back with a thud. Others just bled purple blood and fell into the floor with a slump.

"We will be reborn!" some shouted as they stood in front of the orange glowing console and screen.

"No sign of Silas. Maybe these guys went mad...rogue, I don't know" Jack said as he leaned out, firing at one, sending him flailing over the railing with a delayed thud.

_Sir, I believe I have a consensus on why I couldn't read their heartbeats or life readings._

"Hit me-argh-with it" Jack said while he fought from cover.

_It's because these men...are dead. Silas may have used M.E.C.H's tech to reanimate his dead colleagues. He seems like a sick individual. _

"Explains why they're-ahh-shouting their loyalty to M.E.C.H. He programmed it" Jack shook his head as he got a clear head-shot on one more guard, dropping the technology filled dead body.

Silence filled the room and Jack stepped out, finally getting a close up look on the dead body.

"What are you up to Silas...?" Jack sighed to himself as he bent down looking over the saw the purple blood.

"Teletraan. Can you scan the tech? Maybe match it to Cybertronian, I don't know" Jack shrugged.

_I can try sir: Scanning underway. _

Jack's helmet disconnected and folded away into his collar as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked up at the raised platform with the computer and huge screen. He stared at it and knew he'd find something, whether it be information on Arcee or even Silas. There was more to this.

_Scans complete sir. The reanimating tech is a mixture composite of dark Energon and Cybertronian tech, possibly taken from Breakdown. They must have salvaged enough parts to make copies for each dead soldier._

"Dark Energon? How'd they get that?"

_Unknown sir, but we may find answers on that console._

Jack sighed as he stood up and walked up the steps with a clang of his metal boots on each grated platform. He stepped over the guards and to the control panel. A seat was in front, so Jack took it, swiveling around and looking over the information. He tapped away at the encrypted information.

"Teletraan, you wanna take over?" Jack said in defeat after three failed attempts to enter.

_Of course, sir._

Teletraan hacked into the computer in fewer than five minutes. Making Jack laugh.

"Love ya Teletraan"

_Anytime sir._

"Okay...let's have a look...what are you up to Silas?" he cracked his knuckles and began tapping away at the console, glancing up at the screen as he looked over the information.

"Hmm...okay. Data on dark Energon?"

_No data available, sir_

"Locations of dark Energon?"

_No data available, sir._

Jack slumped back in the seat with a sigh and rub of his face with both palms. He leaned back forward and began tapping away again.

Suddenly a familiar voice sounded from behind.

"Jack? You're in my chair" Silas said. Jack immediately got up to face him, blaster extended.

A green three dimensional hologram of Silas stood before him, life sized. He had a cigar in his right hand, between his fingers.

"This chair is the only thing you have left Silas. I thought M.E.C.H was finished?"

"On the contrary Jack, I've achieved everything I ever imagined...and more" He took a puff of his cigar, smirking. "That's a nice suit Jack...maybe I can borrow it sometime"

"Like hell Silas" Jack snarled, lowering his arm as he knew it was just a hologram.

"Mmm, well I half expected that. That is a nasty scar on your head"

"it'll heal" He snarled back.

"Exactly, now, it occurred to me. Whenever I meet up with you and your Autobot friends, we have a scrap and you and I part ways. But when we next meet, your friends are all cleaned up! Not...one...scratch" he dragged on the cigar once more, smoke exhaling his nose and lips.

"They heal too...they're sentient"

"I wouldn't go that far, they're alien Jack. But I want you to imagine something...this vision of mine. Imagine a world, where all our machines, our tanks, helicopters, trucks, everything...could heal like them. Imagine the army, a tank that could instantly heal on the battlefield. It would make M.E.C.H the dominate ruler of earth, and eventually of Cybertron"

"You know about-"

"Oh I've known for a while Jack. Four years leaves a long gap for me to work without being interrupted by your...Autobot friends. And while they were up there, I had my epiphany. Imagine if we could truly harvest their technology! You always win on the battlefield, leaving hundreds of these dead... Vehicons I think they call them"

_That's where he got the technology sir, not Breakdown._

"Well yes. He did escape my clutches, but I got a lot of technology from these Vehicons"

"Doesn't matter, look around Silas. Not one soldier alive. Your army of dedicated followers are gone! You've had to reanimate the dead to make friends...don't you see how pathetic you are?" Jack shook his head with a scoff.

"A significant hurdle, but now I have what I need to make my dream a reality...almost everything" He puffed the Cigar once more, the tip glowing amber and shrinking in length as holographic ash fell.

"Dark Energon"

"Yes" Silas said simply as he smirked, the scars on his face creasing.

"How the hell did you get it?"

"An old friend...raised her head. I'm sure you're familiar with her"

"Airachnid?"

"Exactly. She came back, and I helped her, took the dark Energon from her and gave her back her free will and...Personality" he chuckled.

"So she's no longer a Zombie, and you get unlimited zombie fuel? Good deal"

"Thank you Jack"

"But it's over Silas. M.E.C.H is done, and so are you"

"No. Nowhere near. You see, I've always had humanities best interest at heart. I have always been willing to do anything to help humanity, if that means reanimating dead humans with this alien tech...So be it. This is the genetic destiny of mankind Jack, do not interfere with it" Silas warned. Jack scoffed and shook his head.

"You truly are insane"

"No...I just see the world for what it is...maybe you should too. Something to be ruled. Humanity needs to change, to upgrade if it wants to survive Megatron. I'm simply doing this for humanity"

"Bullshit!" Jack leaned forward "If you'd have been willing to do anything, you'd have worked with me" He flared his teeth.

"I don't think so." Silas shook his head. Jack puffed air through his lips in an expression of disgust.

"You're desperate. How many humans have you killed for...this? If you'd have helped me we'd already have stopped Megatron" Jack pleaded to the man's good nature, if he had any.

"Oh? And you're suddenly a hero Jackson Darby, son of June Darby, born in Jasper, worked at K.O Burger? You're just a kid, a boy with an alien toy to wear; and don't think I don't know about you and that...partner of yours" He said with a look of disgust. Jack raised his blaster again.

"You mention her..." Jack growled.

"You'll what? I'm miles from here Jack"

Jack was frustrated. He turned back to Silas's hologram.

"What is this...project winter?" He said, pointing to the screen. Silas looked up at it.

"The future Jack...the future"

_Sir, I have the information on Arcee and on Silas's dark Energon troopers._

"Good work Teletraan" Jack smirked. Silas lowered his Cigar.

"what was that?"

"A beloved friend, who got all the info I need, while you and I chatted"

"Don't interfere with my plans Jack. I won't warn you again"

"Go to hell" Jack snarled back.

_Sir, the information on the hard drives!_

"What now?" Jack rolled his eyes, looking away.

_Sir, it's not here._

Silas smirked with a villainous smile as he turned away, the hologram dissipating away.

_It's being erased. _

Silas stood with arms behind his back in his headquarters, Airachnid over his shoulder.

"Goodbye...Jack" Was all he said as he ended the conversation and he walked away.

Meanwhile back in Russia, Jack raced to save the information.

"Did we get what we need on Arcee?" Jack asked.

_Yes sir, but the information on project winter is gone._

Jack sighed. "Don't worry. Let's win this fight first. Come on; let's go before we lose anything else. We can look at the data elsewhere" He leaped off the podium and onto the tracks, walking out of the base, trying to understand what just happened. Silas is back, and truly insane, along with Airachnid supplying him with dark Energon that he can clone. He's a threat...but that will have to wait till after the Decepticons are beaten...somehow.


	14. Chapter 14: The Prodigal son returns

Hours past as the moon loomed up into the midnight sky, Lunar glows illuminating the night time dunes.

Optimus walked up the side of the dune, shading his face with his hood and palm. He reached the curved summit, looking out over the vast emptiness, only an ocean of shifting sand for miles. Optimus then heard a sound that made his polymer skin crawl. He looked up, his hood and cloak bellowing.

A roar of Cybertronian jet engines growled from above and down from the sky with a sonic boom came Megatron, transforming in mid air and landing with a thump on the dune. Optimus stood tall and proud, his hood on his head and cloak fluttering in the sandy breeze. He looked onwards with blue optics at the red optics of Megatron, smirking back.

"Optimus..." Megatron chuckled.

"Megatron..." Optimus snarled.

"Surrender the Matrix and die Optimus!" he roared, aiming his wrist and firing a blast of purple energy at Optimus, clenching the fist at the end. The blast swirled at Optimus. Suddenly the Prime raised his arms in defense, blades extending from each arm as the blast hit him, pushing him back and rippling the cloak, blowing the hood down. The purple energy swirled around him and washed over the Prime. As it cleared, he lowered his arms and then lifted them in a defensive stance. Megatron's one long sword, a sword that had bested many a gladiator on Cybertron extended with a metallic scrape. He smirked with shark teeth and lunged as Optimus stood his ground.

Soon the pair was locked in combat, dodging and swiping swords at one another. Optimus raised his, deflecting Megatron's with clanging and scraping sounds echoing upon the night time dune. He swiped at Megatron, only to have him bring his up, both pushing on one another's blades. They stared at each other as their blades were locked together.

"You should have spent more time in the pit...Optimus" Megaron sneered.

"And perhaps you should have spent more time in the Library" Optimus glared back, face hidden behind his plate. Megatron's eyes widened and he roared, lashing out, blade swipe after blade swipe. Optimus deflected them the best he could, two swords against one, Megatron winning with one.

"I spent eons...training in the ring. Where did you learn to fight Optimus...in a Library"? Megatron said, slamming his blade upon Optimus knocking him off balance, Megatron delivered a devastating kick, sending Optimus rolling to the edge of the dune. Optimus stood up with a groan as Megatron laughed.

"You seriously came to fight me alone?"

"I'm not alone" Optimus smirked, rolling out of the way revealing a titanic mechanical Tyrannosaurus, breathing a blaze of fire at Megatron. Megatron's eyes widened in horror but soon flared back to normal, raising his sword as protection against the heated flames. He swirled his blade through the fire, heating the blade to an amber glowing metal and diverting the flames around him. As the beast ceased, Megatron lunged, slicing his white hot sword against Grimlock's knee, sending him rolling down the dune with a yelp.

Optimus swung only for Megatron to hit the blades with his, swinging a round house kick to Optimus's face, knocking him too, down the hill. Megatron watched the Prime bounce and groan down the side of the dune, rolling to a stop. Optimus opened his optics as Megatron leaped from the dune at him, sword raised for the finishing kill. Optimus quickly extended his blades and raised them in defense across his torso as Megatron's slammed against them, a force of several tonnes delivered in the sword impact. He pushed on Optimus, flaring his teeth as Optimus flared his eyes, groaning.

Optimus rolled over, Megatron's blade slicing through sand, turning it to glass crystals with his white hot blade still heated. Optimus staggered up, only for Megatron's blade to swing around, slicing across Optimus's back, cutting the cloak in half. Optimus dropped to the sand with a cry of pain. As he went to get up, Megatron's foot pushed him down. He rolled Optimus over with an abdomen kick and held his blade tip to Optimus's throat, cutting the rest of the cloak and hood off, looking down at him.

"I win Optimus...ahhh, I would have waited an eternity for this Optimus...its over" he smirked. Optimus groaned, looking up at him.

"Arghh...NEVER!" Optimus roared, kicking Megatron back and clambering to his worn feet in seconds, locking blades with Megatron again, staring at one another with hate and anger.

...

At the same time, Rafael gave the all clear with a nod and thumbs up, four huge Autobot's walking out from behind a huge rock. the early night time light glimmered down on them.

"So what are we looking for Ratchet?" Raf asked.

"When we were using the Harbinger to bridge people back and forth, I decided that it would be best to take some technology, as a backup in case the same scenario happened again...which it has"

Miko gave another all clear as they jumped over the barbed wire fencing to the military compound, a housing estate of huge Hangers littered together, numbered with massive black font.

Bulkhead lowered both Miko and Raf to the ground as they were now on compound soil.

"Okay you two. Stay put, just for now...I mean it" Bulkhead said with a stern look and finger warning to them.

"Sure thing Bulk" Raf nodded.

"Arghh" Miko slumped her shoulders down, pouted and crossed her arms.

Bulkhead caught up with Ratchet, Ironhide and Bumblebee.

"So what are we looking for Doc?" Ironhide asked quietly as they tip-toed.

"We're looking for the same Hanger we operated out of once Omega One was destroyed. I have a hidden bunker I built in secret below the hanger, hopefully still full of my technology stash"

"Oh...so you hid some of this tech away..."

"...In case we ever needed to use a ground bridge...without a base of Operations" Ratchet explained.

"Here we go...The Hanger" Ratchet said as he approached the huge locked doors of the massive structure. He placed his palms on the door gap and started growling as he pried them apart.

"Arghh...Ironhide...a hand?"

"Sure thing doc" He said as he walked over and grabbed the opposite door, pulling on it as they slowly opened.

"Okay...here we go" Bumblebee said as he walked in after Ratchet and Ironhide. It was stripped of all their previous tech and Ground Bridge controls, controls Ratchet had moved to their new base outside of Jasper, now a crater. He leaned down pressing in a floor tile very hard and twisting it, lifting a panel was a small by their standards rectangular hole with weapons and a portable ground bridge control.

Meanwhile, Miko and Raf kept watch. Raf did, while Miko went on her pink phone.

"Miko! We're supposed to be keeping watch!" Raf said to her. She disagree with blowing a raspberry at him, tongue out eyes closed.

"I want to be in there with them! Not keeping watch for..." She stopped at the sight of nearing black hummers. Raf ducked down behind the grass. He grabbed Miko's arm and yanked her down to the ground beside him.

"ah! Hey!" she shouted.

"shhh!"

"Rude..."

Raf grabbed his walkie-talkie. "err...Ratchet?"

"Mmm Yes, yes...what?"

"We've got several black vehicles outside. And men coming to the compound!" he whispered.

"Scrap! Hurry, lift that bridge control!" He shouted as the radio went silent. Night time darkened their surroundings, luckily making Raf and Miko invisible in the compounds grass near the fence.

The men walked over holding unrecognizable weapons.

"We are here for the same reason the Autobots are. Get their technology...and harvest it for us! For M.E.C.H!" The squad leader roared with a fist in the air.

"M.E.C.H? But weren't they done with years ago?" Miko whispers, shushed by Raf, making her roll her eyes.

"Blood and circuitry, flesh and metal, a glorious future awaits" One quotes as they entered the base.

"Glorious...what?" Miko asked.

"Shhh! Be quiet Miko!"

"Grrr...Stop telling me to be quiet!" She shouted, standing up, fists clenched to her side. She looked up at the M.E.C.H soldiers, golden goggles staring back.

"Oops" She giggled nervously. The soldiers aimed.

"for the glorious rebirth!" One shouted at her. Suddenly an engine roared and a huge green SUV raced around the corner, transforming and standing between the soldiers and her.

"You mess with her...you mess with me" Bulkhead snarled. Miko crossed her arms between his legs, smirking.

"Meet my buddy!"

"For glory!" the soldiers cried, opening fire with Energon based weapons, dark purple plasma hitting Bulkhead.

"Argh! What the...We got dark Energon powered guns here Ratchet!" Bulkhead said as he slammed his wrecking ball fist on the ground, knocking the squad over. They fired up at him. He shielded himself with his wrists.

"Kill em Bulk!" Miko shouted in support.

"I-I can't! They're human!"

"No! They aren't! They're dead men reanimated with dark Energon!" came a static fuzzed familiar voice, omnipotent with no body.

"Jack?" He said. Ratchet and the others emerged with the tech, listening to the faint rumbling of thrusters crackling. A missile like object was racing in, a ball of light on the end of an arch of smoke.

Bulkhead winced as he fired his cannon at the body, decomposed limbs falling apart and Cybertronian tech sparking and scraping along the ground. Dark Energon spilled over the tarmac.

"He's right! They're Zombie soldiers?" Bulkhead asked.

"Ah! Yeah a zombie throw down! Go get em Bulk!" Miko cheered.

"Who told us that?" Bumblebee shrugged. Ratchet looked up at the night sky smirking.

"The prodigal son returns"

In the distance, racing along the sky, thrusters occasionally cutting out and restarting, came the damaged suit wearer Jack Darby.

_Sir, it's them. It's the Autobots._

Jack smiled inside the helmet as he neared.

"Long time, no see guys" Jack smirked as he raised his blaster arm and fired at the locked on targets set by Teletraan. Two soldiers fell and one was left, taken care of by Ratchet, as he swung his blade, decapitating the dead walker. The body slumped with sparks and purple glowing blood.

"who is that?" Miko asked, as she squinted to the nearing man.

"It's Jack!" Raf giggled.

Inbound and hot came the damaged suit, brushing over the mountains and ducking down to a low fly by. The boots spluttered as they were low on power.

"Might wanna brace for this Teletraan" He said as he winced, dropping down from the sky and finally slamming through the fence, tucking and rolling along the floor with scraps and sparks, sliding to a face down stop near the first hanger wall.

"Arghh...see? Told you we'd make it with that much power" Jack chuckled as he sat up with a groan.

_Sir we are on 10% power. I don't think that counts. Plus you didn't land, you crashed!_

"Same difference" Jack staggered to his feet, whirring of the suit and sparks spitting from certain joints. He stood up tall, clenching his fists, the faded and scratched blue and gold paint reflecting in lunar light.

The visor hummed blue as he walked over with whirring clangs of his boots. Ratchet and the other bots knelt down.

"Jack?"

The helmet disconnected and folded away into the collar. He smiled as he saw them all again, all in one piece.

"In the flesh guys...in the flesh" He smiled.

"Jack!" Miko and Raf laughed as they ran over, hugging the damaged suit and him tight.

"Well done Jack. Well done. But tell me, how did you find us? Our trackers are off?" Ratchet asked.

"Teletraan is more resourceful than you think, right bud?"

_Indeed sir. Hello again Ratchet. It is a pleasure._

"Welcome back. Both of you" the doctor smiled. Bulkhead chuckled as he nodded to Jack, same with Bee and Ironhide gave a gently tap on his back.

"Well done kiddo"

"Thanks. Hey Ratchet...may need some repairs...and a battery recharge" Jack said to him. The doctor scoffed and smiled.

"Yes...yes you do"

"Okay...so question time. Who and what are these things?" Bulkhead asked as he swatted the dead M.E.C.H soldier.

"Teletraan, you want to fill them in on what we found?" Jack asked as the suit disconnected and folded up onto his back to save power.

_Yes sir. Gentlemen, what we have here is an attempt by Silas to create loyal, undead soldiers. He has achieved this though infusing Cybertronian technology stolen from dead Vehicons and-_

"Dark Energon" Ratchet finished with wide eyes.

_Exactly sir. These men died years ago, possible under Silas's command, and now he has rebirthed them._

"Some of them look like they were soldiers. Was he that insane and evil that he'd rob the corpses of real soldiers?" Bumblebee asked in disgust.

_Possibly, we do know that the dark Energon he obtained was taken from none other than Airachnid._

"So she's back. Great" Bumblebee shrugged.

_And no longer...as Jack stated "Zombiefied" She is sentient like before. _

"Now there's her...and M.E.C.H thrown in" Bulkhead sighed. Ironhide simply stood arms crossed and listened, not knowing what M.E.C.H was, only that they were to be hated.

"This information can wait until we can set up this Ground Bridge device somewhere secure, somewhere hidden. Somewhere nobody goes" Ratchet thought.

"Yeah...a place where a bot can walk around, and not be seen" Ironhide shrugged. Jack clicked his fingers.

"Who's up for some stargazing?"

"What! At a time like this?" Ratchet growled.

"You'll understand once I've explained. For now, roll out guys, I'll tell you where to go" he smiled.


	15. Chapter 15: Heroes and Villians

Megatron staggered along the dune, wiping the Energon from his flaring lip. Optimus stood swords raised in defense, covered in slash marks and scuffs. Suddenly Grimlock stood behind him, roaring in a tectonic bellow that shattered the silence for miles upon miles. The Dinosaur lowered its head and flared teeth at Megatron, wrapping a tail around Optimus's leg in a defensive stature.

Megatron smirked, cricking his neck from left to right and rolling his shoulders. He raised his sword. "So be it!" he lunged forward at them both. Megatron was fast, dodging the breath of fire, leaping up and pushing one foot off of Grimlock's thigh, roundhouse kicking Optimus, making the Prime stagger, quickly spinning back around and deflecting the bite of Grimlock.

Optimus clambered back up, Megatron deflecting his attack as well, fighting both of them off with one blade. He swung the blade down low, making Optimus miss with his swing, giving Megatron the upper hand, punching Optimus's face with his other hand, slamming a knee into Optimus's abdomen. Optimus staggered back and Megatron went to stab him. Suddenly Megatron's blade stopped and his eyes widened.

Optimus's palms were pressed against the blade, holding it back with all his might. Megatron pushed, sliding Optimus's feet back through the sand.

"Die Optimus!"

"Arghhhh! Not...on this...day!" He pulled his arms to the left, releasing the blade. Megatron fell forward with his push and Optimus slammed a fist into the opposite force of Megatron coming forward. The Decepticon warlord fell back into the sand. He opened his blurry optics to see Grimlock's giant dinosaur toed foot pin him down. He growled with fire in his mouth.

Megatron acted quickly, raising his arm cannon and unleashing barrages of purple energy into the Dinobot's head, staggering back and falling over with a thump. Megatron stood up with a cackle as Grimlock transformed, standing up beside Optimus, towering over him, a huge fire sword in his right hand.

"Two shall stand...one shall fall"

"No Optimus...both of you will fall by my blade" Megatron smirked as he readied himself.

...

Arcee paced alongside the Lincoln memorial throne. Fighter jets raced overhead giving recon on the sealed city. Morning fog rumbled over the horizon and cold due licked the grass. She stood on the steps.

"Megatron was a fool" Starscream smirked, hands behind his back. Arcee stopped pacing, looking over at him with ferocious red eyes, her condition deteriorating.

"W-what do you mean?" She asked as Starscream knelt beside her, arm over her shoulder.

"Well, he was a fool because he raced off to fight his arch enemy...alone. We have strength in numbers. He is alone, and will undoubtedly fall by Optimus's blade. Not to mention Grimlock's teeth" He shuddered sarcastically, getting up and walking towards the throne.

"But I guess a new leader will be needed. A leader who is stronger, more powerful...more Deceptive" Starscream smirked as he stroked the arm of the marble throne.

"Suddenly a three fingered hand grabbed Starscream's shoulder, yanking him back.

"Oh! S-Soundwave! How lovely to see you!" Starscream nervously chuckled as he stared at the faceless monster.

"You transmitted all that to Megatron didn't you?" Starscream asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes...he-argh-did Starscream. And when –ah-I've killed Optimus...and his new pet...I will...punish-grr-you!" Megatron transmitted back while fighting both Optimus and Grimlock, and still winning.

"Nice one tattletale" Starscream shoved Soundwave away. Arcee chuckled.

"Really impressive there Starscream. You got bested by a radio" Arcee snarled. Soundwave stepped forward, shoving Starscream aside. Little did Arcee realize that on Cybertron before the war, Soundwave was a superior gladiator, the only one to ever inflict damage upon Megatronus, a battle that ended in a tie.

Arcee stood up, cricking her neck and smirking villainously as her red eyes, with swollen black marks under them opened. She turned around to face the huge Decepticon spy master.

"What's the matter? Insecticon got ya tongue?" she smirked at him. He stood silently staring, suddenly booting her in the chest, hurtling through the air into the open field before the memorial, the huge Megatron monument not far away. She got up as Soundwave leaped off the steps with a thud.

She unsheathed her wrists blades with a smirk. Soundwave simply stared at her, arms by his side. She swung, he blocked, catching her off guard by his lightning fast movements. Suddenly his other long arm came around, slamming her down. She got up, swinging again, every time he was faster.

She launched a round house kick which he caught, throwing her back down into the ground. The dust settled and she went to get up as he pinned her down with his boot, staring down at her with no eyes.

"Soundwave superior. Autobot inferior" He said once and only once to her.

"I am no Autobot!" She shoved him and sat up as he turned, walking away. He had proven everything he set out to, and simply walked back to the memorial. She sighed and clutched her head as more visions hit her.

_For sparks sake Arcee, fight! Fight this venom! You can save your friends, your Sparkmate! Jack! Remember Jack!_

She shook her head and doused away the inner conscience as she stood up, staggering slightly. Vehicons stared at her.

"What? You all got something to settle? Well come on then!" she shouted as they all turned away. She sighed and calmed herself as she growled and stormed off towards the Nemesis as it hovered above, a ground bridge letting her angrily retreat to the ship.

Soundwave closed it and simply stood tall by the side of the thrown. Starscream stared at him with shock.

"You're very scary, you know that right?" Starscream winced. Soundwave simply peered his screen face at him.

Starscream turned and walked away. He looked out over the Decepticon controlled land. He looked down at his hand, missing two fingers from when Arcee sliced them off months ago. He chose not to have them replaced, to constantly remind him never to fail himself again. Never to be taken for a fool...again.

He clenched his fist and snarled. "Megatron...will suffer"

...

Ratchet and the others neared Jack's once secret spot. They drove off the cracked crinkled tarmac onto the sandy path upwards.

"Here we go guys. No one ever came up here...me...me and Cee used to watch the stars here"

"Aww...that's cute" Miko said, of all people. Jack raised an eyebrow. "What? I can be...sensitive at times...especially now. Sorry about Arcee" Miko said like a grown up, wringing her hands.

"Don't be. We're going to get her back, and fix all of this" Jack said as Ratchet stopped, opening the driver side door and clambering out. Miko smiled.

"Damn right we are"

The other bots pulled to a stop behind Jack and Ratchet, Miko getting out as the Medical officer transformed, holding the portable bridge controls. He stomped forward as Jack's jaw dropped in shock and awe. The desert they once looked over was now a titanic smouldering crater, for miles. Jasper was gone, even the mountains had toppled. The trees that once surrounded this area were burned and shriveled. He shook his head and his eyes were glassy, water trickling to the corners.

This was his first time seeing his home...gone.

Mom's fine, right? Please tell me-"

"Nurse Darby is safe and well at the Hospital in the nearby town. I stayed to protect her till she was well" Ratchet said as he began setting up the equipment. Jack nodded.

"Thanks Ratchet. Means a lot"

"Mmm yes, yes" He murmured as he worked. Jack smiled as he pat the doctor's arm, walking over to the other bots. Ratchet smiled to himself as he worked.

"So, what's the plan Jack?" Miko asked.

"Well, from what info Teletraan could track all details point towards her being in Washington. Ground Zero...sounds like that's our endgame" Jack nodded. Ironhide looked out as the sun rose up over the smouldering crater.

"You okay Buddy?" Bulkhead asked as Ironhide obviously saw something.

"Hey! Ironhide!"

He narrowed his optics at the object in question. He smirked and even chuckled as his eyes widened. Even Ratchet got up and raised an optic ridge.

"What is the matter with..." He saw it too and everyone heard it rumbling towards them as something big breached the atmosphere, tilting. All the bots and humans gathered on the cliff edge looking out, squinting from the sun's rays. Suddenly the huge vehicle roared towards them. It was titanic in size, around the size of Grimlock.

"Is he rated for atmosphere?" Bumblebee asked as he chuckled.

"Guess we're about to find out, everyone brace yourselves!" Ironhide said as he knelt down, covering the humans with his arm for protection. The downdraft as the massive white and red Cybertronian jet neared blew up over them, making the bots shield themselves too with arms raised.

The huge jet hovered over them before it collapsed in on itself, transforming and shifting into the robot form. The kids watched in awe as they saw everything fold away and morph into the body parts. Wings folded up onto his back and the white and red color scheme stayed bright and crisp. The cockpit folded up into his abs and he hovered as his thruster boots kept him airborne.

"Guess we have another airborne Autobot" Bulkhead laughed.

"Who is that?" Miko asked, snapping photos with her phone as the dust barrage settled, the being lowered himself and then dropped with a thud. He stood tall and smiled at them.

Ratchet stepped forward to the same colored Autobot. Ironhide unshielded the kids and stood up as well. They marveled at this flying Autobot.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...Jetfire" Ratchet chuckled.

"Hello old friend" Jetfire smiled as he greeted Ratchet with a firm handshake.

"How'd you find us, you know this planet?" Bumblebee asked.

"Went to Cybertron and met up with Magnus and Smokescreen. They told me where to find you. Originally I got Teletraan's distress call about the state of earth and the Decepticon presence months ago. When I told those two...well" he turned and pointed at the sky as a huge ship breached the atmosphere. It was absolutely gigantic, but they'd all seen it before.

"Ultra Magnus" Jack chuckled as the ship came around, dousing them in dust again as it settled, toppling smouldering trees and clearing its own landing zone. The two huge thrusters dimmed their blue glow. All the Autobots stood in awe at this bar Jetfire.

"You guys wanted numbers...well" Jetfrie said arms crossed. Raf laughed in awe as the ramp lowered holding two figures they already knew. The broad shoulders of Ultra Magnus stepped out, his prosthetic hand tightening a claw fist. Smokescreen came next, swinging punches to the air and jogging on the spot. He rolled his head on his neck and stepped aside. A red slimmer, smaller male Autobot stepped forward, blades on each arm, like Arcee's but bigger. He nodded with a smile at the humans and the Bots. Then out came a silver one, same build as the red one. He had long blades extending out from his wrists. He swung them around into a deactivated stance on his arms.

Finally a bigger bot stepped out, camouflage colored and textured. He had a cannon on his shoulder and a square, chiseled jaw, a definite soldier appearance.

"Humans, Autobots" Ultra Magnus said with a smile this time.

"Welcome back sir!" Ratchet said.

"Thank you doctor. Allow me to introduce you to Cybertron's first returning Autobots: Mirage" He said pointing to the red one. Mirage nodded and swung some fists, eager to fight. "Sideswipe" He added, beckoning the silver one, who nodded to them with a smile. "And finally, Hound" He finished as the bigger broader bot stood beside Magnus.

"Nice to meet you all" Hound said to them all with a smile.

"Hound! By the Allspark I thought it was you!" Ratchet said, open arms as he greeted his old friend. Hound chuckled as hugged the doctor back.

"You too old friend! Long time, no see!"

Jack could not get over how many new Autobots they gotten.

"You needed help. Here we are" Jetfire smiled down at them.

"Thank you. Sincerely" Jack said to them all. "Sir" He nodded to Magnus.

"Good to see you learning the chain of command, soldier" He nodded back.

Smokescreen bent down to Jack. "Hey buddy! Anymore trouble from that Vince? We can total his car if you want" He chuckled joining Jack in a laugh.

"He ain't much trouble anymore. Good to see you again" Jack nodded to him with a gently fist bump.

"Ratchet in a good mood?" Miko whispered out of the corner of her mouth to Bulk.

"I know, I nearly tripped a circuit!" Bulkhead laughed.

Ratchet stepped back. Ironhide smirked as he spun his arm cannons around "Well we have the might to take on Washington, now just the plan"

"Right. Teletraan, if you will" Jack said as he set the cube down. The cube transformed into the suit, and began walking around human height, except with no one it, bar Teletraan.

_Yes sir. _

Teletraan beamed a huge three dimensional image of Washington up for them all to see as they gathered.

_Washington is heavily fortified by two Anti-Air batteries. They must be neutralized so Jetfire and Ultra Magnus can move in._

"Agreed. They are our main priority" Ultra Magnus said as he rubbed his chin. Jack couldn't help but smile at this sight. All these Autobots reunited, all to save humanity. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

"We also have the issue of the communications scrambled on top of the Pentagon" Bumblebee added as he looked over the image. "We won't be able to contact one another; it'll be a death trap"

"Teletraan and I can get in undetected in the suit. We'll take care of it" Jack added.

"He's braver" Magnus smiled.

"You have no idea" Ratchet added.

"That still leaves those batteries" Jetfire pointed to the hologram of the huge Decepticon towers with massive barrels aimed at the sky.

All the bots rubbed their chins. Miko smirked as she stepped forward.

"You know, if you need something wrecked...you call a Wrecker" She said, pointing up to Ironhide and Bulkhead throwing them into the conversation as all the Autobots stared at them.

"Wait, what?"

"Hmm. I'm not usually a fan of the "Wreckers" but it does sound like an obvious way of destroying the cannons. Can you two bring them down?" Magnus asked them, crossing his arms.

"Err yeah, sure. Ironhide, you still got your explosives?" Bulkhead asked.

"HA! It's like you don't even know me" He said as he bounced a grenade in his palm.

"So it's settled. Jack and Teletraan will take down the scrambler and the Wreckers will handle the cannons" Magnus said.

"What about the rest of us? Come on, I'm itching to fight!" Smokescreen said as he bounced on the spot, punching the air. Ultra Magnus rested his claw hand on the young bot's eager shoulder.

"Steady kid. We stay back, and wait till the all clear is given. Then we move in and drive the Decepticons out, and finally destroy that super weapon we bypassed on the way here"

"ahh...alright" Smokescreen sighed. Sideswipe stepped forward, his wheeled feet clanging on the dusty ground as he looked over the hologram, rubbing his chin.

"What sort of Cons are we looking at?" He asked, crossing his bladed arms.

"Well we've got a group known as the Hunters. That mean anything to you guys?" Jack shrugged.

Mirage scoffed as he shook his head and entered the conversation. "The Hunters terrorized Cybertron, and killed countless Autobots. So yeah, that does mean something to us"

"Easy Mirage, whose left?" Sideswipe pat his friends shoulder.

"Well Arcee killed Blackout. The rest are still kicking"

"Does that mean...Blitzwing?" Hound gulped.

"Yeah...yeah he's here" Jack added, not sure why every Autobot looked up at Jetfire. Jack and the kids looked over at him as he lowered his head, a trembling fist clenched on each arm.

"He...w-will pay" Jetfire snarled.

"What happened?" Raf asked someone, whoever was listening. Mirage knelt down, his candy red skin glimmering.

"He lost Silverbolt and the other Aerial bots to Blitzwing. In the early years Blitzwing was an Aerial bot, but he went mad at the loss of his Sparkmate, killing a load of Scientists and all the Aerial bots bar Jetfire. Then he was put in Iacon Asylum" Mirage stood up after explaining.

"My anger can be put on hold, for the sake of the mission. So when do we move?" Jetfire changed the subject.

Ratchet stepped forward. "I can get us there once this bridge tech is set up. It won't take too long. Rafeal, can you give me your assistance?"

"Sure thing Ratchet" Raf ran over to the huge Medic as he bent down to lift up the control panel.

"Wait...where Optimus Prime?" Magnus asked as he looked around for the leader. The already stationed on Earth Autobots lowered their heads.

"He...he took Grimlock and got him to safety. He had to stay away for the sake of the humans, so he banished himself to the Sahara" Bulkhead explained.

"A brave leader, is he safe?" Magnus asked.

"Not sure. But if I know Optimus...he's doing just fine" Ratchet said to them as he worked on setting up the Bridge.

...

Optimus staggered from a collateral punch to the side of his head, Energon spewing from his lips and broken faceplate. He fell to his worn, tired knees with a groan. Megatron spat Energon on the clotted sand and swung his blade at Optimus to finish him, only for the swipe of a Mechanical tail to hit his chest throwing him down the dune. Grimlock stood beside Optimus, grumbling and whimpering as his T-Rex head tried to lift Optimus.

"arghh...I...I'm fine. Thank you Grimlock" He put an arm over the Tyrannosaurus neck as he lifted the Prime up. Megatron clambered back up the dune, panting as he raised his blade in a defensive stature.

Grimlock looked at the Decepticon leader and had truly had enough of him. He growled and stepped in front of Optimus.

"Oh? You want to fight me Dinobot? Ha-ha! I can beat you in simply speaking properly"

The dinosaur shifted back into the robotic stature of Grimlock, raising his fire sword and swinging it into his defensive stance.

"Me Grimlock learned something from Optimus"

"Oh? And what's that?"

"That there is nothing stronger than family"

"Ha-Ha-Ha! Family? You have no family! You are alone Dinobot! You are the last of your kind! Now, allow me to make you extinct"

Grimlock lowered his head, and then raised it in a stern look. "You can try"

Grimlock lunged as Megatron did, both their blades slamming together in an almighty bang, sending sand blasting outwards from the shock wave. Megatron hissed as he pushed back and Grimlock simply snarled and held his own, stronger and more determined than Megatron. Megatron looked at his blade seeing it warp and glow as Grimlock's fire sword pushed against it.

Finally the sword broke, shattering and melting as Grimlock cut it in half. The sword that had bested countless gladiators and Autobots disintegrated. Grimlock swung his blade back around and cut across Megatron's chest sending the tired warlord falling back to the ground with a thud.

Megatron's eyes awoke. He smirked as the huge Dinobot held his sword above him.

"Go ahead...finish me. I can guarantee you won't get another chance" Grimlock lowered his eyes as he thought. "Go on! Be a monster!" Megatron taunted. Grimlock snarled and roared, lifting the sword. Megatron stared up with a burst of red as his eyes widened. He looked on in shock as Grimlock bellowed in anger, bringing the blade down. Megatron winced as the sword slammed down.

Optimus looked on in shock and awe as the blade slammed down, silence sounding.

Moments past until Megatron reopened his eyes, seeing the blade stuck deep into the sand, beside his head. He looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"Me not a monster like you" he pulled the sword out and walked back to Optimus, helping him up.

"This...is not over" Megatron winced as he clambered to his feet and transformed, blasting off into the night sky. Sand bellowed up as he raced off, silence resuming.

Grimlock narrowed his eyes as Megatron left.

"Come on Optimus. Me help you"

"You...did the right thing...Grimlock. I am...proud of you" Optimus groaned. Grimlock smiled as he truly felt part of Optimus's family.


	16. Chapter 16: Air Force One

Arcee walked through the halls of the Nemesis, still hearing her own voice shouting in the back of her angered mind. She went into Knockout's medical center. The pristine doctor turned with a smirk on his face.

"Ah Arcee! I heard about you and Soundwave"

"You want me to dismember you?" she snarled as she walked over the room. Knockout fell silent as he went back to work. Arcee walked by and saw her reflection out of the corner of her eyes. She stopped, stepping back and looking at the mirror. It brought shock to her. The reflection was her former Autobot self, pristine, blue eyed...beautiful. She raised her palm to the panel and pressed it on her former self's. Soon rage overcame her as her red eyes gleamed into the blue ones. She brought her fist back and cried out as she punched it shattering the mirror.

She looked back through the distorted cracks at the now red eyed reflection: Shattered glass.

...

Ratchet cheered as the exhausted Doctor finally got the portable Bridge controls working. A green swirl emitted before him between the two pronged beacons. Raf chuckled as he helped finish the bridge after hours of grueling work. He straightened his ruffled hair upwards into his recognizable style.

Meanwhile the bots all sat on the dusty ground, looking at their feet and playing with their guns and arms.

"See? You adjust that...aaaand-" suddenly Ironhide's cannon fired, Magnus ducking as the shot flew off over the distant crater.

"Whoops" Ironhide nervously chuckled.

"Watch where you point that thing soldier!"

"Yeah Yeah, I got it" Ironhide shrugged him off.

"Ratchet, you ready yet?" Jack shouted.

"I believe so, but first things first. We need Optimus...and Grimlock" Ratchet drew the line. Everyone stood up, clambering to huge feet or small human feet.

"W-what? I thought the reason he left was so Megatron wouldn't kill anymore people to get to him?" Miko investigated.

"Yes, that is true. But we need him now more than ever. With the final battle dawning, we need leadership. Forgive me Ultra Magnus, but it has to be Optimus" Ratchet surrendered his hands up to his chest.

"No offense taken, you're right. We do need a Prime to win this" Magnus agreed. Jetfire stretched his arms and rolled his mechanical shoulders.

"So how'd we get him back?"

"Ground Bridge" Ratchet stepped aside showing his portable Ground Bridge set up and ready. "Optimus's beacon is still offline, now I've already jotted down his last known coordinates. Someone needs to go through and launch a beacon so they can see it" Ratchet ordered as he began entering Optimus's last known coordinates.

"I'll go" Ultra Magnus said.

"You sure? Might shock him to see you here" Mirage stated.

"He's going to see us sooner or later. I'll be back. When you're ready doctor" Ultra Magnus stood tall and proud as he waited for the bridge to open. Ratchet tapped away at the panel and soon the bridge opened, flickering slightly and glitching. Ultra Magnus raised a concerned eyebrow in Ratchet's direction.

"Oh don't worry about that. Simply due to the fact it's not running on a direct power supply. This Energon battery will hold it open for hours. Off you go"

"Er...right. As you say Doctor" he said, stepping through the green swirling vortex.

"That true Ratchet?" Jack asked,

"Hmm? Oh of course...maybe...well, not really...no" Ratchet shrugged. Jack scoffed and shook his head with a stifled laugh. Teletraan, A.K.A the suit walked over, staring at Jack. The helmet disconnected and folded away into the back of the neck and collar, revealing no one inside.

_Sir, we are fully repaired and recharged. _The pristine blue and gold metal headless suit said. Jack nodded as the suit front split open, the legs sliding open and the arms, letting Jack turn and shimmy his feet into the bases of the boots, climbing inside the suit. He lowered his shoulders inside followed by the arms and fitting in the sleeves as it closed around him. The suit sealed around his body as he cricked his neck and groaned, rolling his now mechanically skinned shoulders.

"Okay Ratchet. I guess Teletraan and I should head to Washington. Once we start this thing, there's no going back" Jack sighed, tensing his body as the air brake flaps opened and closed. He checked everything over, shaking his legs and slapping the metal plated thighs as their air brakes opened as well.

"Not yet you can't Jack. Fowler just contacted me on my long range communicator. Apparently the president of the United States is flying to Washington to negotiate with Megatron!" Ratchet growled.

"What?! Is he crazy? Megatron will never let him near, it's a Decepticon trap!"

"Exactly. Imagine the devastation the death of the President would cause to the people of this country, the world. With powerfully human figures being terminated, Megatron's letting Earth know that no one will ever rule them...except for him" Ratchet explained in shock.

"Where is he? I can intercept, maybe talk him out of it, god I don't know. There was a time where the only thing I had to worry about was girl troubles" Jack shrugged.

"He's aboard a vehicle known as...Air Force One. Jack, can you intercept if I update Teletraan's coordinates?" Ratchet asked.

"Err...yeah I guess. Never sneaked aboard a plane before, let alone a flying one" Jack said nervously.

_Do not fear sir. I will help guide the suit, like I did in Rio de Janeiro. _

This soothed Jack. At least he wasn't going to be alone.

"What if I came along?" Jetfire asked.

"No, out of the question Jetfire, it may not seem it but we are fugitives on Earth now. Megatron has scared Earth's military forces into hunting us. They'd shoot you down. At least Jack is smaller and much more unexpected" Ratchet explained as the Aerial bot back down. Jack nodded to him.

"I can do it. I'll fly aboard, and hopefully not get shot, inside or outside the plane" Jack rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Jack!" Ratchet shouted, making Jack turn to face him. "Be careful"

"I will Ratchet. Tell Optimus...I said I'm sorry; I owe him that for my behavior. And I'll see you all in Washington no doubt. Stay safe" Jack finished as his helmet formed up over his head, locking and clicking tight and smooth as his visor hummed blue. He blasted off into the sky, hurtling along a set waypoint to the flying Air Force One.

Everyone chirped up as they saw him fly off, a plume of smoke following him into the sky, arching over the desert land.

"Wait, where's he going?" Miko asked anyone who heard.

"He's going to save the President" Raf chuckled. "Cannot believe I just said that about Jack" He shook his head.

"How do you think I feel? I used to tell him not to break my equipment. Now I'm telling him not to get shot down. Time has a way of changing people" Ratchet shrugged, turning back to the Ground Bridge to keep it open.

...

Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus stepped over the dune, scanning the desert. He raised his arm cannon, charged it and finally unleashed a blue ball of energized light into the air, rocketing higher and higher.

"Hopefully, you'll see it Prime"

Across the desert Grimlock held Optimus up as he saw the blue bolt.

"Optimus! Look!"

The Prime lifted his head and saw it.

"Autobots! Grimlock...we need to head towards it" Optimus limped as Grimlock helped him.

After a long walk and several more energized flare launches they stepped over the dune to see the awaiting ground bridge and Ultra Magnus. Grimlock didn't recognize him and leaped off the dune, landing on him and lifting his sword up.

"Nobody else hurts my leader!" He threatened as Magnus tried to calm him.

"Grimlock! No! He's with us" Optimus shouted as he made his way down the side of the dune, getting better as his repair functions neared completion. Grimlock stared at the startled Magnus under his foot and saw the Autobot logo on his chest. Grimlock sighed relief and lowered his sword, stepping off of Ultra Magnus.

"Sorry. Me Grimlock trying to protect family"

Ultra Magnus stood up and gave a raised eyebrow. "Family?"

"Yes Ultra Magnus, family. Welcome back old friend" Optimus said as he greeted him.

"Same to you sir. Ratchet and all of the new recruits are on the other side"

"New...recruits?" Optimus asked.

"Oh you're going to love this sir" Magnus smirked as he stepped through. Optimus looked at Grimlock with a raised eyebrow, getting a shoulder shrug in response from the giant. They both proceeded to leave the desert's harsh wind and weather.

...

Meanwhile, Jack hurtled through the air after a half an hour flight across the land below. Fires roared and smoke plumed up, trailing towards the distant oceans as the winds carried it.

"Look at the state of this planet Teletraan. We really got a chance of winning this?"

_Yes sir. We cannot give up now. _

"Thanks buddy. I needed that" Jack smiled inside the helmet.

_We are nearing Air Force One sir. Locking on now._

Jack looked forward at the distant plane, flying high above the land of America. It was massive, it's blue, white and silver skin gleaming in the light and the huge turbines under each arching wing wailing. Jack flew alongside the vapor trails as he neared the massive presidential plane.

"Okay, game plan. What just knock on the door and hope they let us in?" Jack chuckled.

_Sir, we are in a super advanced suit. I don't think we need to knock. _

"Kinda hoping we wouldn't have to fight these guys Teletraan" Jack said as he flew up and over the wing glancing in through one of the windows. He narrowed his eyes at the sight that caught his attention. He saw suited men, on their knees, hands behind their heads and guns in their faces. Armed men walked around the plane. Jack sighed, shaking his head.

"Never easy is it?"

_Of course not sir, working on a battle plan as we speak._

"Hey Ratchet? You hear me?" Jack shouted over the scream of the turbine under wing.

"Barely! What is that?" Ratchet shouted back.

"Plane turbine, long story! Look, we have hostile men inside the plane, looks like M.E.C.H But I can't know for sure. Gotta get inside! Stay in touch Ratch!"

"You too! I'll update the others"

Jack closed the transmission and flew to the door; he grabbed onto the handle and boosted the thrusters to keep up with the speed of the plane.

Inside an armed man with a full headed balaclava and golden goggles stood watching the men. Suddenly the silence broke with...a knock on the door. The man raised a concealed eyebrow and scratched his head looking at the door. He even looked at the hostages. They had raised eyebrows too.

"You...you hear that?" He asked the hostages, who simply nodded at him. He turned back to the door and looked through the tiny glass slit. All he could see was clouds racing by and blue sky. A knock sounded again. He grew agitated.

"Okay what the hell is-"

Suddenly the door blow open, sucking all the air from the room and even the man. He screamed as he flew out of the plane, hurtling by the windows at great pace. The hostages screamed as they held onto secured table legs, papers and briefcases fluttering through the breached door. Wind squealed as it was sucked from the plane and the loud roar of jet turbines wailed too.

Suddenly a mechanical suited Blue and gold figure landed inside, he slammed the door shut and bent the handle with powered strength to seal it for good. He stepped away and stood in the room, feet clanking. The helmeted head and blue glowing visor looked at the hostages.

"You all okay?" He asked as he bent down to check them. They trembled in fear, a mixture of female and male in the group. An air stewardess silently pointed a trembling finger to a nearby hallway, layered with more small windows. Jack tracked her finger and saw the entrance. He could hear people heading to the room to investigate the breach.

"Silas. We have an Energon reading aboard the plane. Shall we terminate?" the voice got closer. Jack raised his finger to his helmeted mouth and shushed the hostages as they all nodded in fear, crawling behind the table. Jack stood up and crossed his mechanical arms, waiting for the soldiers.

Soon three of them walked in.

"For M.E.C.H! A beautiful future of flesh and steel!"

"Okay, you really gotta stop that preaching stuff!" Jack shook his head as he walked towards them, grabbing the raised Energon rifle and snatching it from the soldiers grip. The soldier grabbed Jack's upper arms and looked at his helmeted face. The human head split open and a mechanical purple glowing tongue stretched out.

_Dark Energon infused humans, definitely M.E.C.H._

Jack recoiled slightly.

"Okay, now you seriously have a condition, and are in serious need of a breath mint!" Jack said with disgust as he pushed the M.E.C.H undead soldier back.

"Err Ratchet? We got more of those M.E.C.H zombie-like soldier things...his head just split open and a weird metal tongue shot at me!"

"Yes, we've seen that with Dark Energon controlled Vehicons. Be careful Jack. Don't let them close!"

"You don't have to tell me twice. Teletraan, wanna target these guys?"

_I...I can't sir. I don't see a life reading to lock onto._

"What? You could lock onto the ones in the M.E.C.H base!" Jack said, avoiding the tongue as it lunged forward. Two more soldiers arrived, spitting heads open and purple glowing tongues extending.

_It appears these soldiers have been under Dark Energon control for a long time. I will recalibrate the cannons to lock onto Dark Energon signatures. Bare with me sir._

"Okay...alright" Jack clapped his metal coated hands together and rubbed them.

"Okay! So while we wait...how about we share something about one another...You wanna go first obviously" Jack joked as the Dark Energon man leaped at him. Jack caught him, the soldier pinning Jack to the wall. Jack dodged the sharp darting tongue, only for it to puncture the small window behind his head, the air sucked and pulled. Jack could see it couldn't pull the tongue back due to the suction so he grasped the tongue and yanked it from the head, kicking the body back. The split head closed and he raised his rifle, firing at Jack. One of the soldiers pressed a button on a small spherical metal orb, pulsating as he threw it.

"No! What are you, stupid?" Jack shouted as the grenade rolled to the corner.

_Sir, they are undead...they don't need to be clever, just able to fight for Silas._

Suddenly the beeping of the grenade quickened. Jack didn't know what to do; he'd never had a situation like this happen ever before.

Then the beeping stopped. A loud airplane beep for the engage seat belts sounded.

[_Buh- boh] "Please engage your seat belts. Turbulence likely" _An automated female voice stated from the overhead speakers.

Jack sighed and shook his head, rolling his concealed eyes "You have no idea"

Suddenly an explosion erupted and the wall disintegrated, loud howling of wind and jet turbines filling the room. Pure sunlight flooded the room and the blurry haze outside the plane adjusted to see the miles of long stretching flat green land below. The monstrously altered soldiers were sucked out of the room, flying under the wings, one hitting the wing, shattering into broken tech and flesh as it fell for miles.

The hostages screamed as they too, were sucked from the room. Jack followed, unable to clutch onto the wall any longer, flying out, clipping the wing, hurtling out of control.

"Scrap!" He cried, luckily Teletraan regaining his stature as he engaged air brake flaps and both thrusters. Jack felt warmth on his head as blood trickled down. His fuzzy vision faded and he regained his composure and the dizziness ceased.

_Shields at 10% recharging them now sir.  
_

"W-where are the hostages?!" He shouted, looking in the sky for them.

_Sir, they...they clipped the wing. I read no life signs in the air. Sir, they died on impact. I'm so sorry._

"S...sss...scrap!" He shouted as he clenched his fists in rage. He looked away from the falling bodies with closed eyes. He couldn't dwell, not now. He turned and blasted from his hovering position back to the hull breached Air Force One. He quickly flew through the big enough tear torn in the ribcage of the plane.

He slammed into the opposite wall with a thud, turning and making his way down the hallway with his thrusters, slamming into a M.E.C.H Soldier, crashing through a door with him, blowing it off its hinges and bouncing across a table in the center of the new room. The soldier staggered up, along with Jack.

A swift punch to Jack's head blew him back. The soldier walked towards him snarling from inside the balaclava. Jack punched his gut and lifted his boot to his head as he jerked down from the stomach punch. The body slumped backwards. Just as it got up, Teletraan spoke.

_Sir, blasters are calibrated for dark Energon, locking on now._

Jack smirked as he aimed the arm blasters and fired, hitting collateral headshot after headshot thanks to Teletraan. The bodies all fell, smouldering heads and lifeless. Purple Energon leaked across the carpet, and still the loud roar of the hull breach squealed from down the hallway. He stepped out of the conference room he'd crashed through. In the corner were two more terrified hostages. They trembled with hands on the back of sack covered heads.

"Do you know where the president is?" Jack asked one, making him jump slightly from the sudden unseen voice.

"d-d-down the hall. First conference room"

"Thanks. Stay put! I'll be back for you" He said as he stood up, disconnecting the helmet and folding away into his collar, probably best for the President to see a human in this suit, not just another alien looking threat, or thinking he was part of M.E.C.H.

He reached a door, grasping the handle tight and waiting to open it.

"Stay down!" He heard from inside, muffled by the door. Jack readied his blaster in his right hand.

"Teletraan. Wanna lock onto those dark Energon targets for me?"

_Already done sir, four inside. _

He nodded and opened the door, raising his blaster and hitting the locked on Targets. One soldier flew against the wall from the headshot, dropping dead. The others snarled and raised their Energon based rifles. Jack took several shots to his shoulder. Suddenly a big muscular zombie soldier grabbed Jack's throat and threw him from the conference room back down the hall, sliding to a stop by the sack covered hostages.

The big beast of a zombie soldier stormed over, grabbing Jack. He grabbed Jack's wrists and slammed him against the wall. The head split open and the mechanical tongue neared Jack's exposed face. Jack could feel the hands tightening on his armored wrists, crushing servos and pistons. The plating creased under the pressure. He snarled back as the mechanical tongue neared him, dark Energon saliva dripping.

"Arghh...Teletraan...Now!" he shouted, the suit ejecting Jack and forming around the big brute of a soldier. He tried to fight but Teletraan locked the suit tight onto him and Teletraan took control, turning and flying back down the hallway. Jack stood up from the floor, grabbing the sliding by blaster of the big soldier. He aimed, firing the dark purple energy at the soldiers, overloading them and sparks bursting from their chest as they dropped to the floor. Jack sighed relief as he staggered to his feet. The last soldier was being taken care of.

Teletraan flew out of the plane and simply ejected the man, dropping him to the planet below. The dark Energon man growled and spat purple saliva as he fell, narrowly missing being sucked into the turbine.

_Have a nice trip sir, see you next fall._

Teletraan resealed the suit and flew it back inside.

Jack stood at the end of the hallway tapping his foot, arms crossed. Teletraan flew to him, standing before him as he dropped the thruster boots to the floor with a thud, looking at Jack from the glowing visor.

"What time do you call this?" he smirked.

_Sorry sir, I had a date to ditch._

"Ha! That you did. Nice work there Teletraan"

_You too sir. _

The suit swallowed Jack and he walked back around to the conference room, the suit clipping tight and sealing. He stepped in seeing a suited man in the corner, tie loosely hanging around his neck and sack over his head like the others.

"Mr President!" Jack shouted, only to be stopped by another green three dimensional human height hologram of Silas. Jack staggered back, fists clenched and teeth flared.

"Silas..."

"Hello Jack!"

"What the hell is this, since when was M.E.C.H solely a terrorist group?"

"Oh we are not; I just needed your attention. You see, your meddling...it's grown tiresome. It's been fun up till now, but I've had enough of you playing hero. Now, I need M.E.C.H at full strength and for that...I've needed bodies. And thanks to Airachnid, a fresh supply of human casualties always finds its way...to me"

"You truly have lost it haven't you? I thought you saw M.E.C.H as humanities sword, not a dagger in its back"

"Poetic, but you miss the point. Dark Energon is the genetic destiny of mankind, I see it now. It makes us powerful, stronger...loyal to whoever feeds it to us. So my army never go hungry, they never disobey an order and they never back down from a fight. The perfect army, infuse that technology with all our armies, we have an unstoppable planetary force, to wipe out the Decepticons, and the Autobots"

"You insane piece of scrap" Jack snarled.

"What? Mommy still not letting you curse?" Silas chuckled.

"Okay, go to hell you son of a bitch" Jack bitterly hissed.

"Much better! Now, I know that your little endgame as you put it is near, but I cannot allow you to endanger my plans, so..." Silas's hologram pulled out a detonator, making Jack's eyes widen. "...End of the line Jack. Even heroes fall"

Jack stepped back slightly as he watched Silas's thumb hover over the button.

"Oh Scrap"

"Goodbye Jack. It's been fun" He clicked the button and seconds later the hull of the plane erupted in flames and a tectonic bang sounded, another huge hull breach roaring from down the hall. On the outside of the huge titan plane, the left wing snapped and buckled, engulfed in fire as the two turbines upon the wing waved and ripped upwards, the turbine fans ripping through the blazing metal flesh of the collapsing wing, as it tore clean from the screaming hull. Fire and a heaving clotted cloud of thick black smoke trailed from the huge plane as it tilted downwards, falling from the horizon and wailing through the clouds. the plane slowly barrel rolled as it tumbled downwards, the turbines screaming as they ripped away from the falling icon of America. Jack hit the wall from the blast. Silas's hologram was gone.

"The President!" Jack shouted as he ran over to the man in the corner. "Don't worry sir I'll have you-"

He removed the sack, the man's head splitting open and hissing at Jack, tongue extending.

"Gah! The President was never on this flight! It's a trap!" he booted the man's head knocking him back. Jack felt the plane tilt to the side, now diagonal as he slid along the floor, along with chairs, papers and bodies. He clambered up, walking to the cockpit, ripping the door off and seeing the pilot's dead.

_Sir, they had dark Energon traces. Silas must have simply deactivated them. _

"Scrap! Okay, we gotta go!" Jack panicked as he turned, one of the other two hostages landing on him, fighting Jack.

"Get...lost!" Jack shouted, wrapping the tongue around his wrist and kicking the body up hitting the diagonal ceiling and dropping back down. He dropped the decapitated tongue and staggered to his feet, one more dark Energon man running at him, snarling and growling. Jack flared his teeth, raised his blaster and bellowed a shot of Energon through the head, decapitating it and dropping the body to the floor.

_Sir, the plane is going down. Engine two and three just cut out. _

Jack flew down the hallway, ducking and turning through exploding hallways and splintering walls. Finally he reached a hull breach and shot through it, finding himself in the huge wide open outside sky. He turned and saw the plane falling from the sky. He looked below, seeing a small town.

"Scrap! Teletraan, look!"

_Sir that town has a population of three thousand. The explosion would be catastrophic._

"So I've gotta stop a plane from falling...great" Jack rolled his eyes, helmet forming around his head and flying after the tumbling titan. Thick smoke trailed behind as Jack caught up. He flew back inside for the third time, back down the burning hull breached hallways and conference rooms. He neared the cockpit, ceasing his flying and throwing one of the bodies from the seat. He sat in it, looking over the wailing alarms and controls.

"Scrap! I need a co-pilot!"

_On it sir._

The suit disconnected from Jack, stood up and pulled the bodies from the other chair, taking a seat. Jack looked at the suit, as Teletraan grabbed the throttle and controls. Jack copied and did exactly as Teletraan instructed as the huge icon fell from the sky, wailing as it did.

"It's not pulling up!"

_We've lost all power to the engines sir. We are now a missile._

"Oh just great!" Jack hissed as he pulled back on the controls as hard as he could, the plane not lifting.

Meanwhile in the town, people gathered, along with Vehicon soldiers who controlled the town as they watched the falling plane scream towards the town, a heavy trail of thick black smoke arching behind it.

People screamed and panicked as Air Force One fell towards them.

_Sir we are getting dangerously low._

"Yeah I got it Teletraan! Jesus! What do I do here?" Jack asked as he looked over the controls as they blared warnings.

_Pull back sir and angle to the left along with me._

"What does that one mean?" Jack pointed to one of the beeping icons. Teletraan's blue visor glanced at it then looked back through the windscreen.

_It means landing gear unresponsive sir. _

"Oh that's a shame cos we were definitely going to be using that!" Jack sarcastically snarled as he pulled back on the throttle. Air Force One screamed and howled as it cleared the clouds, growing louder as it neared the town.

Suddenly the plane began to slowly lift. Jack felt it tilt up and see the ground slowly disappear from the windscreen.

"W-what's happening?" Jack asked.

_Unknown sir, but we are lifting._

"Jack! I've got you boy!" Optimus Prime's voice sounded. Below the plane, holding onto it's flaking underbelly was Optimus, using his jetwing pack to lift the nose. Behind him was Jetfire doing the same, both using their hands to grasp the crinkled underbelly.

"Hold on Kid...arghh, we got it. Help steer us though will ya...gaah!" Jetfire said.

"Yeah! Yeah we got it!" Jack said as he pulled back on the throttle, Teletraan doing the same.

"Jetfire, we must angle it from the town!" Optimus cried back. Jetfire nodded, boosting his boots and thrusters.

People in the town watched as Air Force One pulled up, skimming the rooftops, Optimus and Jetfire, scraping along the rooftops. The loud wailing of turbines cried and deafened people, broken landing gear crashing into houses and skimming along the tarmac as they fell from Air Force One. A wheel severed, bouncing along the road and crashing through a shop, exiting through the brick wall on the other side and slamming into a car.

They had missed the town by sheer millimeters. Jack sighed relief. "ahh...yes"

"Not...over yet...kid" Jetfire groaned.

"He...arghh is right Jack. We must set her down" Optimus shouted.

"Right, right, course. Okay well erm...there a field there, we can-whoa!" Jack felt the one winged plane drop down and he braced as Optimus and Jetfire fell from under it, slamming and rolling against the grass, chunks of earth ripping up on their impact. Optimus rolled to a stop and looked up at Air Force One as it carried on, slowly dropping and screeching through the diminishing sky.

_Sir, I recommend you brace._

Jack winced as Teletraan threw himself on him, the suit locking around him as the plane hit the ground, exploding in a fireball. The last remaining wing buckled and warped on impact and the spent turbines rolled along the ground, catching fire and erupting in flames, splintered turbine fans ripping through the flesh of the Earth. The whole cockpit and nose severed and rolled along the ground as the rest of the plane exploded further and shattered as it collapsed on itself, a huge smoke plume as black as night fogged upwards, a titanic bang echoing.

"Jack!" Optimus cried as he climbed to his feet, running toward the still sliding wreckage. Jetfire got up with a groan and ran after him.

The huge plane corpse ceased moving and rolled to a stop in the field, now a huge ripped earth trail behind the plane and fire everywhere. Optimus jogged through the field of smouldering debris and under the huge sprained wing sprouting up from the crashed carcass.

"Jack?" Jack, where are you!" Optimus cried out desperately. His eyes locked on the nose of the plane lying upside down across the field. He ran to it, Jetfire behind him.

"Jack!" Optimus shouted as he roared, tipping the nose back upright. Jetfire punched the windscreen and reached inside, carefully pulling the suited Jack out.

_Sir...I...I...He is unresponsive sir._

"Jack...Jack wake up!" Optimus cried. "I already thought I'd watched you die once, I will not do it again!" Optimus shouted.

"Then...it's a good thing...I ain't dead" Jack groaned in Jetfire's palms. Optimus's shoulders dropped with relief and he sighed.

"Ahhh...thank the Allspark"

"So...I'm not cleaning this up" Jack laughed weakly as he looked over the crash site. Optimus chuckled as he stood up, looking over the wreckage.

"Decepticons will be all over this place soon" Jetfire said as he set Jack down.

"Agreed. Ratchet...we have Jack and Teletraan. We need a bridge"

"Roger that Optimus. It's on its way"

"Optimus" Jack said, getting the Prime's attention. "Silas is insane...like, truly insane. I...I've got a lot to tell you" He smiled weakly. Optimus's eyes squinted, a smile beneath his faceplate. The bridge opened behind them and they headed through it.

"I'm not explaining this to the President" Jack said with a nervous laugh.


	17. Chapter 17: Don't let it control you

Hours after the fall of Air Force One, through the wobbling haze above the flames came the form of a black stealth helicopter with purple spinning rotors. The flames flickered and the smoke rolled around as the downdraft from the rotors blew up dirt and debris.

The helicopter flipped vertical and transformed, slamming slender feminine feet into the ground. The rotors folded onto the back, forming long rigid spider limbs with sharp prongs and blades on the tips. Airachnid walked through the wreckage of the Air Force One, swaying her hips in her evilly seductive style that frightened many an Autobot and human.

"Where is my Jack? I need his corpse..." She smirked with fangs as she walked amongst the wreckage. She looked at the ripped earth, swatting some metal and fuel hoses aside as she picked up a small blue and gold armor plate. She looked it over.

"Hmm...Looks like Jack's. Is my dearest here? Oh Jack!" She cried out, getting up from her knee and walking around the crumpled torso of the plane. Suddenly the sound of a ground bridge opening popped. Airachnid hid behind the burning hull, peering around the corner at the source. Airachnid raised an eyebrow at the sight and sound of a familiar voice.

"Spread out! The Vehicons in that town reported seeing Optimus Prime! Search the wreckage! Find them!" Arcee shouted as she ordered a group of Vehicons. They split up, walking around in pairs, lifting and flipping bent panels of metal, looking for the Prime.

Arcee walked around, looking over the crash site.

"Hmm? Arcee, with the Decepticons? Interesting..." Airachnid tapped her chin from behind the hull. She turned and walked back around under the drooped wing and hopping over a turbine.

Two Vehicons were moving rubble and debris when she neared.

"Hello boys! Did you miss little old me?" Airachnid seductively asked as she walked over, hissing and raising her sharp spider limbs.

"It's Aira-"

He was cut off by a slice across his mechanical throat, dropping the Vehicon to his knees and spluttering on Energon, grasping the severed throat before dropping to the ground.

The whole time that was happening, she had sent one of her spider limbs slamming through the other Vehicons torso, dropping him too. With both of them vanquished she quietly made her way around the rest of the crash site.

Six more Vehicons remained, all split into groups of two as they searched the wreck. Arcee stood on top of a huge chunk of debris, looking out over the crash site. She crouched, getting comfortable as she watched the Vehicons work.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" Arcee's eyes widened at the voice. She looked for the source, only to see her former Autobot self step over from a shroud of fog that formed her, crouching beside the red eyed Cee.

"W-what are you?"

"I'm you...what's left of you. You were once part of a loving family of Autobots...you had a loving Sparkmate. Now look how alone you are"

"Shut up, I'm better and stronger alone. No liabilities..."

"I don't believe that for one nanosecond. And I don't think you do either. You need to fight this...not for yourself, but for the family who love you...and the man who loves you much more" Autobot Arcee explained. Decepticon Arcee looked away, red eyes bellowing brightly.

"I don't need something as weak and pathetic as love"

Autobot Arcee scoffed and shook her head in disgust. "What have I become, some kind of animal? Look at yourself!" Autobot Arcee pointed down to the metal skin of Air Force One under foot. The venom controlled Arcee looked down. She saw herself for what she truly had become. In the blurry reflection she could see the red eyes gleaming bright, piercing evil.

She lifted her polymer lip and saw fangs were there were once simple metal canines. She dropped the lip and looked around her eyes now blackened like Megatron's, black vein like marks stretching out from the eyes.

"That is not you, that's Basilisk Venom!"

"Yeah?" Decepticon Arcee began to laugh demonically, Autobot Arcee recoiling slightly. The villain looked up from the reflection. "Well maybe I like being this way...I like the strength, the power"

"This isn't me...Primus what is this?"

Decepticon Arcee stared at her. "Shattered Glass" the Autobot Arcee began to fade away as she sighed, shaking her head.

"Don't let it control you" Was her final word as she vanished, leaving the venom Arcee alone. Not alone for long though.

"Arcee, long time no see! How is my Jack?" Airachnid asked as she walked over Vehicon corpses. In Arcee's distracted state, she'd not noticed them all be brutally assassinated.

"Who are you?" Arcee raised an eyebrow. This shocked Airachnid slightly.

"W-what? You know Tailgate, killed partner, ahh I want revenge, that whole deal?" She looked up as Arcee leaped from the debris chunk, landing before her.

"Not ringing a bell" Arcee shook her head, staring at the hunter.

"Really. That is rude to forget your arch..." she stopped as she saw Arcee's eyes.

"Hmm...There's more to this. Why are you with the Cons? You'd never join Megatron" Airachnid swiped her hand through the air.

Arcee shrugged "Good sport"

"Ha! It's a shame really. This new Arcee and I could be gal pals, but alas...I have to finish this, so if you don't mind: Where's my Jack?" Airachnid asked.

"Who is this Jack!? I have yet to see this...thing" Arcee shrugged.

Airachnid's eyebrow was raised and her mouth was slightly ajar, head tilted in a "_seriously?"_ pose. She shook it off and looked at Arcee again.

"So...you don't know who Jack is...who I am...what do you know?" Airachnid scoffed. Arcee smirked.

"How to kill you" She said readying her wrist blades, getting in a defensive stance. Airachnid chuckled.

"That's more like it! Come on, let's catch up!" The Spider bot leaped at Arcee, spider legs hitting her torso and swiping as Arcee deflected. Clanking sounded as her wrist blades scraped against the spider blades.

Arcee attempted to jump up over her, only for the spider legs to grab her feet and slam her back down.

"Hmm. You've fought better than that before...though maybe, it's because back then you had something...no, someone to fight for" Airachnid smirked. Arcee got up, a swift boot to Airachnid's head, sending her staggering back. She wiped a slither of Energon from her lip and looked up at Arcee, smirking.

"So be it" She snarled, lunging at the once be Autobot, swiping and slashing. She cut across Arcee's leg dropping her. As she fell, she raised her boot, slamming into Arcee's falling head, sending her flying backwards. She slid along the ground with a weak groan.

"Ha! Not as impressive are you as a Decepticon, though that is why I left them" Airachnid explained as she walked around the fallen Arcee.

"Arcee!" Airachnid knew this voice all too well. A smirk slithered across her jaw as she turned, seeing Jack stood in front of a swirling ground bridge, damaged suit sparking.

"Ah my Jack, come give old Airachnid a hug!" She chuckled with open arms. Jack stared up from Arcee at her.

"Why? Why'd you bring down the plane? What do you gain?"

"An attempt to kill you...wait...what's with your eyes?" She asked with a raised optic ridge and finger pointed, back arched. His eyes shimmered blue as he stepped forward towards her...towards Arcee. She was still on the ground, trying to get up.

"Oh!" She clocked on, understanding. "You...and...Oh this is delicious! The partners mated! Well it was only a matter of time, I've seen the way she looks at you, though not anymore" She glared over her shoulder at Arcee.

"Yes, we're Sparkmates"

"No we're not!" Arcee shouted from the ground.

"Yes we are Arcee! It's me Jack, please remember" Jack pleaded from between Airachnid's feet.

"She doesn't love you Jack! She never did! Don't be such a Sparkling!" Airachnid shouted. Arcee groaned and exhaled through pursed lips. She arched her back as she could feel a sizzling in her head.

_Come on fight it, for him, you can!_

Arcee groaned in agony, red eye's still glimmering bright.

"Arcee" Jack ran between Airachnid's legs. Soon Arcee hissed, swinging her blades at him, narrowly missing him as he stopped. He looked devastated that Arcee had just attempted to kill him.

"Arghh!" Arcee cried as she grasped her head. "I...I...F-For some reason...I...I don't want to hurt you?" She said to him with red eyes still shining. He stepped back from the Arcee that just hissed at him, fangs flaring. He felt Airachnid kneel down behind him, hand on his shoulder, making him shudder.

"Now how about, for old time's sake, you and I have a little game. I'll give you till the count of three...then I'll come after you" Airachnid smirked. Jack looked at Arcee as he staggered back.

_Sir, our suit is in no condition. Thrusters are still rebooting along with shields. Sir, I feel useless._

"Err Cee?" he cried as he stepped back, Arcee still facing away. "Cee!" He started running, the ground bridge still open, but no way to go through without Airachnid following or anyway to call them thanks to Airachnid's scrambler.

"Teletraan close the bridge"

_Sir-_

"Do it! We cannot let her through"

_It's done sir._

"One..." Airachnid started, covering her optics with her palms. Jack began sprinting.

"Two..." He ran past the debris of the crash site, trying to get as far away as possible. Arcee kept holding her head as the Venom was tearing her mind apart, still knelt down facing away.

"And...Three. Ready or not Jack...here I come" She hissed as she transformed onto her spider legs, legs morphing into a spider abdomen. She walked after Jack.

"Arcee!" Jack's voice cried out from the distance. "Help!" Suddenly Arcee's head lifted to the sound, the pain in her head gone.

Jack sprinted past the burning hull, trying to find somewhere to hide.

"You know Jack! You used to make this so easy! Now I'm actually finding it hard to yawn" Airachnid smirked. Jack hid behind a wall of scorched wing, slowing his heart rate and breathing at the sound of Airachnid's spider claws clinking along the floor. He shimmied around the hull, quietly as she walked by. Jack caught his reflection in a shiny piece of metal. His eyes were gleaming brighter, which only meant one thing. He peered around the corner, Arcee smirking at him.

"Boo" she chuckled evilly.

"Gah! Arcee no!" He staggered away as he began running, getting Airachnid's attention. Arcee leaped up onto the hull, watching Jack run away.

"I'll follow him; you go round the other side!" Arcee shouted to Airachnid. Airachnid shrugged.

"Ah, why not, be nice for Jack to see you when he dies! Oh Jack!" She called, walking aloft her spider legs.

Jack was outnumbered, on the run from his love interest and her arch enemy...who were now working together. He sprinted full pelt, panting as the sounds of Cybertronian footsteps sounded. His heart raced as he could see the edge of the debris scattered field.

Suddenly a spider limb slammed his side, knocking him through the air and rolling along the ground. Airachnid soon stood above him, Spider legs pinning his limbs. She stroked his face with the back of her hand.

"Ah Jack...how far you've come. I remember when you were just a little boy...pretending to be brave. Though I must admit, you did do a good job destroying my ship...I'll have to make you pay for that" She hissed.

"Why? Why work with Silas? What are you up to?!" Jack shouted.

"Well...if you're going to die I might as well reveal the secret. You see, Silas took the dark Energon infection from me...giving me my charming personality back. In thanks, I formed a deal. I supply him with Vehicon bodies...and human corpses. He makes his army, I get to hunt. It's a win-win" She chuckled, keeping Jack pinned.

"Dark Energon and humans? How?"

"Well it's all in the Cybertronian parts he implants in them. When the dark stuff is added...it melds them into one being of anger, lust...hate. Synthesis: Metal and flesh" She explained as Arcee walked over behind her, arms crossed and smirking.

"So...Silas...wants to change the course of...evolution?"

"He wouldn't tell me what his overall goal is, but honestly? I don't care. All I care about is you...and getting my revenge"

"No!" Arcee shouted, making Airachnid lower her spider limb.

"What?"

"He's mine..." She snarled, walking past Airachnid to Jack, smirking evilly.

"Well...It would be nice to see you kill the person closest to you. I'll just sit back and enjoy" She chuckled, crossing her arms and pulling her spider legs back as Jack crawled away as Arcee knelt down, staring at him evilly. His heart pounded and his eyes leaked salty tears.

"Please Cee...no" He said desperately.

He heard her wrist blade extend out. She smirked at him and chuckled.

"Goodbye...Jack"

Jack closed his tear filled eyes and winced for the deathly blow, delivered by the one he loved. Seconds past, feeling like hours.

"Psst" He heard, opening one eye. Arcee smiled gently, lovingly at him, her blue cobalt eyes glimmering at him. He opened both eyes and wiped the tears away, Airachnid unable to see from behind Arcee.

"Thanks for not giving up on me partner" She said with the beautifully smile he recognized. All her venom infected parts faded away, the fangs morphing away and the black scarring under her eyes fading, back to her soft clean silver skin.

"W-what?" Jack whispered.

"I snapped out back there, don't know how. Sorry I had to chase you" She squinted, sorrily.

"Don't worry Cee. Gah...I'm so glad you're back"

"Well? What's taking so long? Do I have to kill you too; honestly I thought you could do it..."

Airachnid went on and on behind Arcee. Arcee lifted her head and rolled her eyes to Jack, getting a soft chuckle and huge smile from him as the tears dissipated.

"Stay put partner. I'm pulling rank this time" She winked. Jack nodded, complying.

"Say goodbye Jack!" Arcee shouted, lifting her blade. Airachnid smirked as she leaned over, getting a better look. Jack looked up at Airachnid, smirking.

"Goodbye" He winked at Airachnid, making her raise an eyebrow, only to receive a swift upper cut from Arcee as she swung around. The spider fell back, groaning as she immediately sat up, seeing Arcee in a defensive pose in front of Jack, wobbling slightly and staggering, light headed still.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. At least I can kill you my old arch enemy" Airachnid smirked.

"You can try" Arcee said weakly.

"Jack, say goodbye to your Sparkmate" She smiled, wiping the Energon from her lip, getting up and assuming her stance.

"She knows? JACK, WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?!" Arcee shouted at him, as she always did when she didn't understand something.

"Yeah, she's fine" Jack gently chuckled, yet nervous, getting a scoff from Arcee.

"Excuse me, I am still here!" Airachnid said, with arms crossed. "Typical. Always the third wheel"

"It's over Airachnid. You're coming with us, in custody" Jack said.

"Jack, oh you are too funny!" She laughed, wiping away a fake tear. "But, I must decline"

"Not a choice Airachnid" He scoffed as the ground Bridge opened behind him. Jack stood arms crossed as Airachnid's jaw dropped and staggered back, along with Arcee.

"Unless, you want to argue with my buddy over here" Jack smirked, feeling powerful as he pointed up to the titanic Grimlock, stepping through the portal with stomping steps. He slammed his fists into the ground, morphing into his dinosaur form, a long mechanical tail wrapping around Jack's feet and snarling at Airachnid.

"So...what's it gonna be?" Jack chuckled at Airachnid's expression. Arcee gasped with a head shake and huge grin at the gigantic Grimlock, someone she hadn't seen since the war for Cybertron.

"So Airachnid...are you going to argue with him?" Jack smirked as Grimlock raised his head, roaring at the sky with a mechanical growl, deafening the land.

"Good luck trying to catch me" she smirked, turning to fly away, only to bump into Bulkhead's chest, stood arms crossed behind her, Bumblebee aiming at her from beside him.

"Just try it" The wrecker smirked.

Airachnid sighed, lowered her head and held out her hands, Bulkhead putting huge cuff restraints on her, and her spider legs.


	18. Chapter 18: Unlikely alliance

All the Autobots returned through the Ground Bridge to Ratchet and the awaiting Autobots. Grimlock came first, Airachnid in his mouth.

"Hey, watch the teeth!" She shouted from his grip.

"Ah-ah! Grimlock...drop her" Smokescreen smirked, tapping his foot. Grimlock groaned, whimpering. "Grimlock...drop it" Smokescreen crossed his arms, using a free finger to point downwards.

He opened his jaws, dropping a saliva covered Airachnid on the floor, a bang sounded.

"Ah...thanks for the careful drop...eww" She groaned sarcastically, wiping the saliva from her. Smokescreen pat the huge dinosaurs head as he transformed back into the titan muscle bound robot. Grimlock's head looked down at Airachnid on the floor.

"Hey Smokey, me Grimlock help family catch spider thing" Grimlock cheered.

"Yeah you did! Good job" Smokescreen chuckled. Ironhide walked over, grabbing Airachnid by her bunched up Spider limbs.

"Ah! Watch it!" She shouted as he smirked, dragging her along the ground by her limbs. She shook her head as she was dragged.

"So humiliating"

Ratchet watched as she was dragged past, shaking his head with a chuckle. He turned back to the controls, seeing Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Jack step through...followed by a smiling Arcee.

"Hey Ratchet" She said bashful as she stroked her arm, nervous that they'd hate her for what happened. Ratchet's eyes widened with a smile.

"Primus, Arcee!" He said, as the other Autobots walked over. Optimus Prime stood tall and proud smiling to her, welcoming her back with no words needed. She looked around at all the new Autobots.

"We're more than a family now" Jack smiled as he beckoned his hand at the bots. She looked at Hound, Mirage, Sideswipe, Jetfire and Grimlock.

"Whoa...Haven't seen you guys sine Cybertron fell" she exclaimed.

"Arcee, still looking good after all these years I see" Mirage bounced his eyebrows at her.

"She's taken Mirage" Bumblebee chuckled as he walked past them to his awaiting human partner.

"Yes I am" She chuckled at Mirage as he surrendered his attempt.

"No harm, no foul"

"Hey Bee! Is that really her?" Raf asked his Autobot guardian.

"Yeah...yeah it is buddy"

Miko tapped Arcee's leg, getting her attention.

"If this is some Decepticon trick...if...if you hurt Bulkhead, I'll hurt you!" Miko said, scared and not sure what to believe anymore. She crossed her arms and pouted, angry. Arcee bent down, raising her chin with her silver finger.

"Miko...I'm fine. I will not hurt Bulkhead" Miko wasn't convinced. "I promise" Arcee surrendered her hands up.

"How do I know you're really Arcee? What if they cloned you? What if-"

"Miko, you listen to Slash Monkey on the loudest possible volume, you love concerts, you play your guitar until Ratchet tries to pull out his audio processors, and on several occasions, have taken photographs of Jack's priceless expression when you embarrass him within an inch of his life, which I know for a fact you have saved on that phone of yours" Arcee proved it was her with all this personal information. Miko pulled out her phone and looked over the folder of over sixty photos of Jack's expression, often after being caught ogling Arcee.

"Okay...That's good enough for me...for now" She pointed at Arcee with a stern look, shifting to a smile.

"Good enough for me" Arcee stood up, looking at Optimus. "No doubt all of you feel the same way"

"Arcee..." Optimus started. She looked up at the Prime. "Even I have had a time when I unwillingly worked with Megatron, when I forgot who I was. So has Bumblebee, when Megatron took control of him. We all make errors. We correct them by doing good deeds, which I know you will achieve. Welcome home"

"We know it's you Cee" Bumblebee said, she nervously smiled and sunk her head down, knowing that she'd let them down. She looked over the desert, realizing where they were. Her jaw dropped at the sight and her eyes filled with despair, the same expression she had when Tailgate was killed.

"Primus...is...is"

"Yeah Cee, it is. That was Jasper...and this was our spot" Jack sighed as he stood beside her. She lowered her head.

"I...I told them where our base was didn't I? Allspark it's my entire fault!" She exhaled. Jack pat her leg.

"Hey, don't do that to yourself. You weren't yourself"

"He is correct Arcee. You were under heavy indoctrination from the Venom. But by the looks of it, somehow you broke its control over you. Do you know how?" Ratchet inquired.

"I...I er don't know" She scratched her head. "I...I remember just this blazing anger, constant for what felt like months. Then I wake up all calm in the field near some crashed plane" she explained, shrugging. Ratchet rubbed his chin as he thought.

"Hey Ratchet. When I showed up, Arcee took a pretty hard kick to the head. Could that have done it?" Jack asked.

"Possible that a hard enough impact to the cranium would have re-calibrated her neural networking, maybe distilled the venom enough that she could break the link. Arcee, come with me, I need to administer some of my antidote to you, make sure it doesn't affect you anymore" He said as he walked over to his portable equipment on the peak of this large flat mountain. She nodded, walking over, head low.

"Hey, Cee" Jack whispered. She looked over.

"I've missed you so much. I love you" He smiled lovingly. She smiled back.

"I love you too Jack, but...about missing each other...I wish I could say the same..." She sighed, the Venom having messed with her mind, making her forget who he was for months. She walked towards Ratchet, past Sideswipe. Jack sighed as he stood looking out over the massive crater. Suddenly Sideswipe's wheeled feet stood beside him. Jack looked up. Sideswipe was transfixed on the distance.

"You know Jack. When we start this thing, this Suicide mission; there ain't no going back" Sideswipe looked down at him.

"Yeah...I know" He exhaled a warm breath.

"So I want you to know...that all of us...we're loyal. We're ready to follow you and Optimus, all of you...into the fire" He smiled. Jack smiled back, nodding.

"Thanks Sideswipe. Lucky to have you guys"

Sideswipe knelt down, eye level.

"So tell me...this Airachnid. What do we do with her?" Sideswipe glared over at her as Ironhide held her, listening to her shouting curses at him and Ironhide laughing.

Jack looked over at the hunter, narrowing his eyes. "I've got something to find out" he walked away from Sideswipe, heading towards the Decepticon hunter. He walked by Hound, pressing his hand on his huge leg as he turned his body to fit by Hound and Magnus. He walked past, his eyes drifting to Arcee as Ratchet injected her arm, her eyes finding his and a smile etching along her face. He smiled back lovingly, compassionately as he carried on towards Ironhide and Bulkhead as they held Airachnid.

"Quit moaning Airachnid" Bulkhead groaned. Ironhide chuckled as she hissed at him.

"Grown up response" Ironhide rolled his eyes. Jack walked by Jetfire, who nodding down at him and Grimlock who was sat down, holding his fire sword nodding at Jack, that's all he gave, and all Jack needed. He pats the titan's foot as he fast walked to the two Wreckers.

"Hey guys. I need to ask her a question" Jack said, Bulkhead stepping aside as Ironhide clutched her spider legs in his right hand like a bunch of straws. She looked up from her shackled hands.

"Oh my dear Jack, well played, I'll give you that" She shrugged with an evil smirk.

"Now listen, and listen well. Before we hit Washington, can you tell me anything about the Decepticons, anything at all?" Jack asked with a shoulder shrug. She shrugged.

"Nope...nothing at all" She smirked. Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Fine...just means you are of no use to us" Jack sighed as he walked away.

"Wait..." He stopped, smirking as he scared her to come clean.

"Yes?"

"Mmm...nope. I thought I had something, but I didn't" She chuckled as Ironhide tugged on her legs, making her groan.

"Funny" Jack rolled his eyes, turning and walking away, knowing it was a waste of time. He started to walk back to Arcee. He had a happy rhythm to his heartbeat every time he saw her, and his eyes glimmered brighter as he neared her. He could see across the flat hilltop, now a base of operations as the Autobots walked around. He stepped over as Ratchet groaned and mumbled as Arcee kept moving so he couldn't get the last needle in her arm.

"Arcee, for Primus sake, sit still!"

"Get your needle away from me, and maybe I'll sit still" She mumbled as he pierced her skin, injecting the blue liquid.

"Hey Cee, how you feeling?" Jack asked, his suit still Auto repairing. She rubbed her head with her free hand.

"Like someone set a grenade off in my processor...several grenades" She groaned, experiencing what can only be explained as a migraine. Jack pats her leg and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Ratchet? You figure out how she broke the link?"

"Yeah...I was curious too" Arcee moaned.

"As am I old friend" Optimus asked, being there the whole time. Ratchet removed the syringe, putting it on his portable table. Arcee rubbed her arm and winced, giving the doctor a death glare.

"Be a bit gentler next time?" she mumbled sarcastically. Ratchet scoffed.

"Yeah she's fine. And Jack, it turns out the kick she received to the kick helped...loosen the Venom, if you will. Then, and this is what really stumps me...something in her spark chamber caused her to fight it" Ratchet explained.

"Spark chamber?" Arcee asked, hand pressed on her chest.

"Yes...I don't understand it, but something fought back...and won"

Arcee sat thinking when her eyes popped wide. "Wait, Jack!"

"W-What" He looked up at her, as if she was asking him something.

"No, Jack. That's what I remembering hearing. Through all the anger, the constant rage...I heard Jack's voice and..." She nervously chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck "...it soothed me"

Ratchet clicked his fingers "Oh of course!"

"What is it Ratchet?" Optimus asked.

"These two are Sparkmates, and it's possible that their bond helped fight the venom's hold"

"So love triumphs" Optimus looked down at the awkward couple, both of them rubbing their necks, clearing throats and looked away from one another.

"Actually...on that subject, I owe you an apology Arcee" Ratchet sighed. Her eyebrows rose and her eyes popped wide.

"Me?"

"Yes. The way I responded to your...courtship...I'm sorry. I led you to fall out of our family, and I am so very sorry" He lowered his head.

"It's...It's okay Ratchet. At least I'm back...I think" She rubbed her face.

"You okay Cee?" Jack inquired, concerned.

"Still exhausted...I felt like I haven't powered down in months"

"Possible that the strain of the venom has tired your mind" Ratchet stated as he worked.

_Sir,the suit was neared completion on repairs. _

"Thanks Teletraan"

"You and Teletraan getting along?" Arcee asked with a smirk.

"He and I...we've been through a lot...gotten close ain't we buddy"

_Yes sir, indeed we've been through a lot, Air Force One for example._

"Err, Arcee doesn't need to-"

_Sir, we boarded a plane and fought through it while it exploded._

Arcee's eyes widened and Jack tried to shush Teletraan.

_Then we had to land it as it fell from the sky thanks to Silas._

"Teletraan shush!" Jack nervously cleared his throat over the A.I's voice.

_Have I spoken out of term sir?_

Jack ran his hand down his face as he looked up. He could see the concern on Arcee's face, and by concern he meant anger. Her wide eyes twitched and her lip flared.

"YOU DID WHAT?! DO YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS?!" she shouted at him. Jack chuckled quietly, though still nervous.

"YOU BOARDED AN EXPLODING PLANE! JACK, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" She shouted at him, Optimus stepped back. Ratchet shaking his head at the lovers' quarrel.

"Cee, calm down. It wasn't exploding until I got there" Jack tried to calm her, only realizing how it sounded.

"Oh that makes me feel better. Jack you know how much you mean to me! You know I couldn't lose you!" She pleaded.

"Cee...breathe" He waved his palms down to calm her. She sighed and did, still tapping her foot and looking down at him, arms crossed. "Look, I went to talk the President out of negotiating with Megatron, since he would have shot him down no doubt. M.E.C.H was aboard the plane...it was a trap"

"M.E.C.H?"

"Yeah, they're back and have really gone too far this time" He shook his head.

"W-what? How have they gone further than kidnapping June?"

"It's bad...real bad. We're talking Dark Energon human-zombie soldiers" Jack shrugged, trying to explain them.

Arcee raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know how else to explain them"

"It's true. Silas has infused Cybertronian technology he scavenged from dead Vehicons into these...dead bodies. He used dark Energon from Airachnid to fuel them. Synthesis comes to mind" Ratchet explained with a grumble. Arcee scoffed in disgust at Silas's work.

"He's gone way too far" She snarled. Jack stood beside them.

"It sounds as if he wants to change the course of human evolution. Make humanity a species to be controlled" Optimus stepped forward as he added to the conversation.

"Imagine it. Everyone infused with his tech and dark Energon? Humanity would be dead" Jack sighed.

_Sir, I'm getting an unrecognized message. Shall I play?_

"Go for it" Jack shrugged as Teletraan pulled the suit away from Jack, walking around him and standing in the centre of them, as Optimus, Ratchet and Arcee gathered. The suit visor beamed a blue hologram before them, human height: Silas.

"Well, speak of the devil" Jack rolled his eyes. Silas smirked as he looked at Jack.

"Hello Jack. While I'm not surprised to see you survive the plane crash, I am surprised that you caught the spider"

Airachnid raised her head. "Wait, what did he call me?"

"I'm sorry Airachnid but my need for you is done. Consider our association terminated" He then looked away from her as if she'd never existed. Her eyes widened and a snarl etched along her face.

"How the hell did you get Air Force One?" Jack had to know.

"Not hard once Decepticons own the world. You'd be surprised how little people care for their items when something like this happens, only themselves. The oh-so brave President is obviously hidden in a bunker somewhere"

"Yeah. What are you doing Silas? Oh that's right! Hiding" Jack scoffed. Silas changed the subject.

"Now Jack, I am so very glad you survived the plane, because I recently learned something about you. The reason behind those eyes of yours" He gestured to Jack's eyes. Jack peered up at Arcee, his head not moving.

"You see Jack, Airachnid recently informed me of your...oh let's call it inter-species love affair. Now, my question is how did you survive the Energon transfer? How is that wonderful fuel running through your veins...how?"

Jack shrugged, not knowing himself.

"Well, I need to unlock those secrets, which I'm afraid means that I need your body...so I can open it up"

"Good luck" Jack snarled, leaning forward.

"Oh I won't be needing luck, since I...have this" he leaned out of view of the hologram, returning, violently tugging a wincing woman into view: June Darby. He dragged her by her black hair, making her cry out in pain, Jack's eyes widened in shock and horror.

"Mom!" Jack screamed. All the Autobot looked over, Optimus, Ratchet and Arcee staggering, eyes wide.

"Jaa-aack!" June cried out as Silas smirked.

"Now that we've attacked your heart, I know your anger will lead you to us, or we'll find you. Either way, I'm looking forward to cutting you open"

"I...Will...rip your heart out!" Jack roared, fists trembling and tears forming as he looked at his bruised mother, crying.

"Silas, you have started something you cannot finish" Optimus snarled.

"On the contrary, we've already won. And Doctor, you didn't do a very good job protecting that hospital. It was all too easy to find Miss Darby there"

Ratchet snarled, clenching his fists.

"Goodbye Jack. No doubt, I'll be seeing you soon, and unlocking those secrets" Silas said as he threw June on the floor with a yelp. Jack lunged at the hologram as he vanished, along with his smirk. He stood there, teeth clenched and fists.

"Jack...I'm so sorry" Optimus said as the young man shook his head and stormed over to Airachnid.

"Where is he?"

"Excuse me?"

"WHERE'S SILAS!" Jack roared, making Airachnid recoil and smirk.

"So my Jack needs my help? Well this is a turn of events. But I won't tell you, even though Silas double crossed me"

"Oh I know you won't, you're going to take me there" Jack snarled, everyone gasping. Arcee stepped forward.

"Jack, I want to save June just as much. But letting Airachnid free? She'll either fly off or kill us!"

"Oh I know she'll double cross me. I'm counting on it. But I know her. She wants revenge; I have my Mom to save. Airachnid, you'll never get near him now, you need us"

She sighed as she lowered her head.

"So, I'm offering a chance. I need your help" Jack stated. Airachnid sat quiet for a moment looking up.

"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. On this occasion, you're an ally. But I want you to know that I am not a kid anymore. When you double cross me, either I kill you, or Arcee does. You have my word" Jack hissed. Arcee nodded beside him. Airachnid looked up with a stifled laugh, staring at Jack with purple eyes.

"When do we start then?"

"Right now; I'm heading to M.E.C.H Headquarters, and you're gonna take me there" Jack said as Teletraan formed the suit around him.

"Alright, we have a deal. But...I kill Silas. He's crossed me for the last time"

"As long as he dies, deal; so you'll take us there?" Jack asked.

Airachnid nodded. Jack looked at Ironhide and tilted his head. Ironhide released his grip on Airachnid. Arcee took the key to her cuffs and walked over, bending down and unlocking them, staring at her with fueled anger the whole time. Airachnid simply smirked back.

She unlocked the cuffs and leaned over, whispering in Airachnid's ear.

"The moment you double cross us, the moment you try and hurt Jack...I will end you"

"I'm counting on it" Airachnid whispered back. Arcee stood up, along with Airachnid who stretched her arched back and spider legs. She reopened her eyes and saw every Autobot aiming cannons at her, Grimlock with a T-Rex mouth full of fire.

"Well. No flying off then" she chuckled, walking through the group. Jack walked in front of Arcee and Airachnid. Optimus looked at Jack.

"Optimus, you can't talk me out of this"

"I wasn't going to my young friend. Be safe, and do not trust her. Grimlock and I will be on standby at a moment's notice"

"We all will" Hound added, all the bots nodding in agreement.

"So, how do we get there? Because I am not carrying you two" Airachnid asked. Arcee narrowed her eyes at her.

"Ground Bridge, Airachnid" Ratchet stated shortly.

"You know the coordinates?" Jack asked.

"Tssk, of course I do. Step aside doctor" Airachnid said as she walked past him, seductively as she started tapping into his control panel. Ratchet did not like the fact a Decepticon like her was touching his work, but for Jack's sake, he let it slide.

"There. We can go when you're ready Jack" she said, walking by him, Arcee being overly protective, pressing her palm on Airachnid's arm, pushing her from Jack.

"Understood, taken" She smirked. Arcee stood beside Jack, fists clenched.

"I'm ready to make up for lost time" She hissed, staring at the bridge as it opened, leading them to M.E.C.H Headquarters, to end Silas's reign of terror for good.

"You both ready?" Jack asked as his helmet clicked up over his head. Arcee looked at Airachnid.

"This'll be fun" The villain turned ally smirked.

"Ready Jack" Arcee said to him. Ultra Magnus stepped forward.

"Jack. When you assault his lair, we will not stay hidden for long, and no doubt Megatron will realize something is wrong. When you attack, we will have to start the assault on Washington" Ultra Magnus told Jack.

"Wait, you need me to take down the scrambler!"

"Don't worry. We'll find a way. Take down the anti-air towers then go from there" Jetfire added.

"Okay...It's time to stop Silas. Good luck guys. Stay safe, and we'll see you soon" Jack smiled.

"Maybe" Airachnid grinned, earning a death glare from Arcee.

"Autobots...Airachnid. Good luck. Roll out" Optimus finalized. Jack took a deep inhale and stepped forward to the portal, launching the assault on M.E.C.H, followed by Arcee and Airachnid. Soon the Autobots would also launch their assault on Washington. The end is drawing in.


	19. Chapter 19: Freedom Fighters

Jack, Arcee and Airachnid arrived on the other side of the portal, the sheer heat hitting them hard. Sand shifted under Jack's heaving boots. Sand blistered upwards under the stifling sun. Jack disconnected the helmet into his collar as if folded away.

"Too hot in there for that. W-where are we?" He asked. Arcee always kept an eye on Airachnid as she stepped forward bending down beside Jack.

"Afghanistan Jack. Whats the matter? A little heat got you beat? Now come on, we have an endgame to start" The Decepticon femme stated as she stood up, walking forward. Jack looked at Arcee, who merely shrugged and carried on as well. Jack readied his wrist blaster and walked forward, behind Arcee and Airachnid. It was very surreal for Jack to see the two Arch enemies working together. Time would tell if it would last.

As they walked up a rocky verge, they neared the cliff edge, looking out over miles of rough mountainous terrain and sand as it opened up before them. Helicopters raced along the river that ripped through the canyon like a vein of life, small, pockets of vegetation sprouted around the water. Airachnid crouched down, next to a knelt Arcee and Jack who stood between them both. Airachnid scanned the area. She nudged Jack, getting another glare from Arcee.

"Down there, squad of soldiers"

"Yeah...nice job on those" Arcee remarked, rolling her eyes.

"Thanks" Airachnid took the sarcasm as a compliment.

Jack rubbed his chin. This was clearly a huge hidden base, due to all the M.E.C.H activity.

"Okay, okay. How do we go about this? He'll no doubt flee if he sees you two coming, especially you Airachnid. He wants me though. He underestimates me"

"Agreed" Airachnid startled Jack with her compliance. "Okay, you and Arcee head down that road, along the canyon edge, see?" Airachnid said, pointing a sharp finger down the winding road. Jack nodded. Arcee had to agree as well.

"What about you?" Jack asked her.

"I'll stay on these cliffs, keep moving along them. I'm quicker alone. I'll see you on the other side of the cliff" She got up, walking along the cliff side, the same way Jack and Arcee would soon be heading upon the road.

"We need Silas to focus on me, us, ready Partner?" Jack asked as Arcee smiled.

"Whenever you are" she winked. Jack jumped off the cliff, using the suit thrusters to stop the drop before he broke both legs. He landed behind the troops, Teletraan locking onto their dark Energon signatures. Arcee slammed down beside him, crouched in the crumpled concrete, shooting the dark Energon soldiers.

Suddenly a soldier came from behind, shooting Arcee. He suddenly received a blaster shot to the head. Arcee looked up at Airachnid, her hand raised, palm glowing from where she'd launched the blast. She turned away, heading onwards.

"Mmm, still not convinced" Arcee grumbled as Jack finished the last soldier with a headshot, holding a mechanical dark Energon tongue in his left hand, dropping it.

"About what?" He asked, hopping on Arcee as she transformed.

"Airachnid. She'll betray us" she hissed, driving onwards down the road.

"No doubt, but we need her, and right now I trust her, and I need you to"

"Not gonna happen" Arcee stated bluntly as they raced under a tunnel carved into the canyon, exiting on the other side.

"Come on Cee, I know you have one hell of a bad history, but I need you both to work together"

"I'm doing this for you and June, not her!"

"Okay...okay" Jack sighed.

"Jack, there's a checkpoint ahead. Mix of guards and big mech suits" Airachnid updated them from the cliff.

"Thanks Airachnid" Jack said. "Whoa, never thought I'd say that" He shrugged it off. They sped down the road as they saw the checkpoint gate, six foot soldiers and two large humanoid Mechs, soldiers in their seats.

"Arcee, you wanna handle those two?" Jack asked.

"I'd love to" She chuckled as she swerved to a stop, letting him off. She quickly raced onwards, transforming and slamming her boot into the mech. Jack saw Airachnid, sniping from the cliff top. Every shot made Jack wince, hoping it wasn't angled at Arcee, but to his astonishment she was actually helping them.

"Teletraan, see that gate on the side of the cliff behind the checkpoint? We're gonna need it open. I'll take cover for this one, you go open it"

_Yes sir. Stay safe. _

"The blue and gold suit leaped off of Jack, flying over the checkpoint and landing next to the huge silo-like door, hacking into a control panel. Arcee covered the computer filled suit and Airachnid gave support. Jack stayed back; Arcee had enough to worry about as she finished off one Mech with a blaster round. As it dropped, the other one lunged, punching her and making her stagger. As it raised both its fists, webbing stuck to its arms, holding them up as Airachnid held the webbing, like a lasso.

Arcee took the opportunity, shooting her blasters at the Mech's chest, destroying the driver and dropping the mech till it exploded in a fireball of debris. The dark Energon soldiers fell to the ground and the area was clear. Jack ran over, watching out over the canyon to his left as helicopters raced along the river, dust ripping up off the cliffs from their rotors. He jogged by the bodies and ducked under the checkpoint gate. Arcee stepped over as Airachnid leaped off of the cliff, slamming against the concrete and standing up, walking over as well.

"Nice work you guys" Jack congratulated them.

"Yeah, yeah. How's your suit getting along, we don't have all day" Airachnid said bluntly, watching out for anymore M.E.C.H soldiers.

_Madam this is a fifty Gigawatt binary encrypted circuit. Please be patient!_

"Sassy computer" Airachnid rolled her eyes.

Jack could hear the raspy voices from a radio.

"Radio chatter?" Arcee asked as he walked back to a dead body, picking up its radio. He listened closely to the voice:

_Goliath, Goliath do you read, we have thermal readings on two Non-Biologicals near entrance Three-Eight-Whiskey-Niner. Do you read, is this affirmative, or a software malfunction?_

Moment's past with Airachnid and Arcee shrugging not sure how to respond. Airachnid looked up to see who was watching them, unable to see a UAV or drone.

_This is Goliath. Err, yeah it's a software malfunction, it's reading back heat readings from the rocks as figures, do you copy?_

Everyone looked at each other, once again shrugging at who said that.

_Roger Goliath, see to it that it's fixed, over and out._

Jack dropped the radio and looked at the suit as it walked over.

_There we go sir. Faked a voice print and told them what they wished to hear. _

Jack scoffed at Teletraan's genius. "What would we do without you Teletraan?"

_I am pleased to assist._

"Okay, doors open, move inside" Airachnid said as she walked in last, checking the back as no one saw them enter. The huge door hissed and resealed as they were now inside the large base. It was dark and damp. The ceiling was covered in rocky stalactites. Around the sandy rock floor were ammunition crates, unloaded guns and lots of Cybertronian tech. Stood against the wall were five or six dismembered Vehicon drones, bested in battle and salvaged by M.E.C.H. Huge glowing containers of dark Energon bubbled in the corner.

"Primus, he's gone mad" Arcee sighed.

"Yeah...I never saw all this" Airachnid said, getting a raised eyebrow from Arcee and Jack.

"You must have known what he had planned when you helped" Arcee stated.

"Hey, I was just trying to get my hunting kick. Silas saved me from my dark Energon hunger filled nightmare. was I wrong to help with all this?" Airachnid explained, making Jack consider her as a possible good person deep down.

"We all make mistakes. Come on we have to hurry, before they learn of us" Jack stated, the suit forming around him. It was cooler now they were out of the sun. His helmet formed up form the back of the neck and front of the collar, clicking and whirring into place over his face, the visor illuminating blue.

"Yeah, we need to move from here" Arcee added heading on down the hall. Jack called back.

"Airachnid, you coming?"

Airachnid stood staring at the cons against the wall, the dead humans being filled with tech and dark Energon. It was...so primitive. She sighed and shook her head, purples eyes narrowing. "Yeah, I'm coming Jack" she said, turning and following.

...

Megatron stood aloft the Lincoln Memorial, staring out over his marvelous city. The Nemesis grumbled overhead.

"Ahh yes, my glorious world!" he shouted, stretching out his arms. Starscream rolled his eyes from behind. It was only because he had seized Starscream's Uranium rod idea that he had all of this.

"It is...magnificent master"

"That it is"

Meanwhile across the huge span of buildings, by the entrance to the city. Optimus stepped out of the Ground Bridge, Hound and Mirage at his side.

"Okay, here we go. Once we enter the city, the scrambler is going to give us all radio silence. Stay together and watch one another's backs. Optimus Prime out" He finished the broadcast.

"So, Bulkhead and Ironhide'll take down the cannons, like planned?" Mirage asked.

"I believe so Mirage. Bulkhead, Ironhide are you in position?" He asked them on the comm.

"Getting there...can barely hear you Op-"

"Blast! The scrambler is in range of them"

"Prime! Is that you Prime?!" A familiar voice sounded.

"Special Agent Fowler! Your voice is music to my receivers!" Optimus sighed with relief.

"Prime, I've got a drone heading to Washington. If you're going to start this, then for Sam Hill's sake I'm gonna help all I can"

"We have a scrambler aloft the Pentagon that needs to be terminated. Can your drone destroy it?" Optimus asked.

"HA! Oh how you underestimate the might of the U.S Army!" He chuckled over the communicator as the drone raced overhead towards the city, a large missile underneath its belly.

"Agent Fowler, once that missile is launched, this suicide mission begins"

"Then I'll see to it I take out a lot of con's in the area too!"

Hound chuckled as he checked his Energon rifle. "I like this human. He gets it!"

"Autobots, prepare"

Megatron stood from his thrown, glaring at the sky, shushing Starscream's babbling with a hand swipe through the air. He narrowed his eyes at the sight.

The drone flew high above, the Anti-Air cannons angling upwards. At the base of the huge cannons, dead Vehicon's dropped with huge dents to their skin and scorched holes in their heads. The V shaped eyes flickered red and died.

"Bulk? Ready to blow these things?" Ironhide laughed as he held the detonator.

"Let's go. We gotta take these guns down" Bulkhead finished, turning and transforming, the two Wreckers retreating quickly to safety. The guns whirred as they raised their barrels up at the incoming drone.

"Fire!" Megatron roared with eyes wide at the drone. The cannons were milliseconds from firing when a massive explosion erupted from the base of the left gun, slowly tilting and drooping to the right, the gun firing upwards into the air as it fell, the recoil only helping push the tower over as it slammed into the other gun, the explosion bellowing bigger as they both erupted in flames and debris. They both dissolved, swallowed by the maw of the growing cloud of dust and debris as it plumed outwards.

"This is for Uncle Sam!" Fowler shouted as he hit the button, the drone dropping the missile and launching it at the Pentagon roof. Megatron watched the towers crumble, only for his twitching eyes to fixate on the missile whizzing past.

Moments later the missile hit the scrambler, blowing the shaped roof of the Pentagon upwards in a massive inferno and titanic explosion.

On the edge of the city, Optimus watched the attack unfold.

"Whoa, Optimus, I can hear you! Can you hear me?" Bulkhead asked over the communicator.

"Indeed I can dear friend. Agent Fowler, the scrambler has been eradicated!"

"Of course it has! I aim to please, now get in that city bots, I'll send Rangers and Blackhawks to begin evacuating civilians while you fight off the cons!"

"Understood! Autobots! Roll out!" Optimus shouted, pointing at the city as he ran forward, lunging and transforming, wheel's hitting the tarmac, Hound's jeep behind and Mirage's Ferrari as well.

Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus's ship filled with Grimlock, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Ratchet and Smokescreen neared the city, Jetfire's huge Cybertronian jet to the side. Ratchet grumbled in the tight space, elbows bumping against Sideswipe who rolled his eyes and Grimlock who barely felt it.

"Why...Why put this big lummox in here with us Ultra Magnus?!" Ratchet grumbled.

"Doctor, you won't be calling him that once you see him on the field" Magnus the pilot called back. Ratchet mumbled to himself with an optic roll, warranting a laugh from Bumblebee and huge ship and Jetfire raced to the city, ready to begin the final battle...to be freedom fighters.


	20. Chapter 20: A shocking discovery

In Afghanistan, the trio of heroes and a villain stepped through the low light complex, the sounds of heavy machinery wailing and chugging. Jack couldn't help but glance up at how Arcee and Airachnid were walking next to each other. He had to give it to Airachnid; she had kept to her side of the bargain, so far. And a massive part of him really wanted her to. Because the last thing Arcee needs is the person who killed Tailgate to betray her and lose all trust forever. She was just starting to finally get over the loss of her partners.

"Jack" The voice got his attention. Airachnid looked down at him, purple eyes blaring, Arcee watching her every move.

"Yeah?"

"Once we get past this machinery, we're back outside in the open" She informed them. Arcee gave a stern nod at her.

"What, you don't like working so close with little old me?" Airachnid fluttered eyelashes with a smirk at her, fingers pressed on her own chest. Arcee rolled her eyes and hissed as she walked forward alongside Jack.

"Looks like he captured an old Taliban complex and made it his home" Jack shook his head in disgust. There were tents in the halls filled with weapon crates, Kalashnikovs and RPGs obviously taken from the killed Taliban who used to live here.

"Mmm, well...That's going to be the least of our worries" Arcee stated as she stepped onto a long stretching catwalk, above hundreds of huge rotating pistons and blocks of big steam emitting machines.

"Oh Primus!" Arcee's jaw dropped at the sight and eyes widened.

"What, what is it?" Jack asked, catching up to her, boots clanging on the steel grate catwalk. "Whoa" He simply exclaimed seeing all the machines in this factory.

"Yes Arcee what is it..." Airachnid stopped her sarcasm when she saw what Arcee did. Her jaw dropped too and they both stood staring up.

"What, where am I looking?" Jack asked as his head darted around. Arcee knelt down, gently putting a finger under his chin and tilting it up, his jaw dropping too, eyes wide.

"It's Blackout" Arcee sighed as they looked up at the huge dissected remains of him hanging from the dark ceiling by thick Energon draining cables. His legs were gone, simply his spark erupted chest, head and arms hanging.

"Damn...M.E.C.H must have got the body from Fowlers team, or maybe it never even got that far" Jack huffed.

"Wouldn't he have reported it missing?" Arcee shrugged to him. Jack shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Don't know. Maybe M.E.C.H managed to snatch during all this Decepticon craziness" Jack sighed. Airachnid stepped past them both towards the body.

"Blackout? No...No my sweet"

_Sir, it appears that M.E.C.H is using him as a power source for this base. They've taken a lot of technology from his body. Sir, it is possible that Blackout's body is where the Cybertronian tech used on the humans came from, along with the Vehicons._

Jack nodded to Teletraan's update, turning his focus back to Airachnid "You and him close?" Jack asked the deadly hunter. She sighed, lowering her head.

"Y-you...could say that"

"Sparkmates?" Jack asked again. Airachnid scoffed and chuckled gently, nervously.

"No...Love is pathetic; I have no need for it...It...Never got that far, but...we were close. He was the reason I left the cons" she said as she walked on her spider legs, gently climbing up the titan's chest and looking him in the dead eyes as she stroked his dissected face.

Arcee raised an eyebrow of realization. "I thought the reason you left the cons was to pursue your...alien hunting?" Arcee rolled her optics.

"Well...that was part of it...but...but for a while...I was part of Blackout's team of hunters"

"That where you grew close?" Jack asked her, trying to delve into her softer side.

"Why does that matter? He's dead! Time to move on" She hissed, startling them.

"You don't mean that Airachnid" Jack asked. Arcee stepped in front of Jack, only slightly just in case.

Airachnid sighed. "Let's...let's get moving. I've got a human trophy to take from Silas...his head will be mine" She snarled. Jack nodded, walking along the catwalk, Arcee beside him. Once they were out of sight, Airachnid looked back to Blackout's eyes. She cupped his damaged face and pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes.

"Goodbye my sweet" She finished with a sigh, climbing back down onto the catwalk. She transformed her legs back down, spider limbs folding up onto her back. She stood hugging herself as she took one last look at Blackout. She lowered her head, replacing her despair with anger and vengeance.

"Silas will die" she vowed before turning and heading down the catwalk to catch up with Arcee and Jack, leaving the dissected titan and the huge factory of machines.

...

Optimus stood in the street, kneeling down behind a car as Vehicons fired at him. Suddenly a strafing run blew the road apart and all the cons as Jetfire flew overhead.

"Jetfire, thank you for the assist" Optimus contacted him.

"No problem Prime. I'd watch out, just seen what looks like Combaticons in the junction up ahead" Optimus narrowed his eyes at the name.

"Did he just say...Combaticons?" Hound asked, aiming his rifle up over the car wreck and firing several shots at Vehicons, barely visible through the haze of flames and smoke.

"Indeed he did. Autobots, this is Optimus Prime. We have Combaticons. Keep wary for Bruticus"

Inside the approaching ship, Grimlock's eyes widened at the name.

"Bruticus!?" He snarled. "Me want to get out here" He stomped over to the ramp, punching a button and lowering it as he descended slowly.

"Grimlock! What are you doing?" Ultra Magnus shouted. He looked up from the ramp, wind barrage hitting him and the heavy howl of the jets whirring behind them.

"Killing Bruticus" he said with a short fuse, leaping from the ship and falling to the city below. Smokescreen scoffed.

"He's dead"

"Who...Grimlock?" Ratchet asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No...Bruticus" Smokescreen smirked.

Optimus saw the ship hurtle overhead and a huge figure drop from it, suddenly slamming into the concrete with a titanic bang, blowing out all the windows in the street and ripping concrete up and rippling the ground. Optimus's eyes widened at the sight as he peered over the car, seeing the huge crater in the middle of the street.

Vehicons staggered back and began running, huge stomping footsteps sounding. Suddenly a huge hand reached around the tall building at the end of the road, Bruticus stepping around the corner, seeing Optimus through the flames. He laughed demonically and incredibly loud, slamming his fist into his palm.

"No one to save you now Optimus Prime!" Bruticus roared as the massive multi Decepticon being walked forward.

Suddenly a titanic roar bellowed from the crater in the middle of the road. Bruticus looked down at the hole with a huge raised eyebrow.

"He's angry" Mirage chuckled as he stepped back. Optimus nodded, watching the events unfold. At that moment a huge mechanical tail whipped out from the hole and the massive hulking torso of the metal T-Rex walked up the crater side stepping out through the flames and roaring again at Bruticus.

"Grimlock!" Bruticus laughed. They began walking towards each other, soon speeding up as they started sprinting, Tyrannosaurus vs Combiner. Time seemed to stand still as they lunged at one another, silence bellowing.

Suddenly they slammed into one another, a force that felt like of over a hundred atom bombs erupting at once, a shock wave blasting out across the city as the two pushed against one another, Grimlock being smaller, yet stronger. He roared as he slammed against Bruticus, the titan's feet sliding along and creasing the concrete beneath. Bruticus slammed huge fists onto Grimlock's back, only angering the Dinobot further. He bit down on Bruticus's arm, ripping it apart with his teeth and pulling Bruticus down, ripping and tearing teeth at him.

"Well,that went well" Mirage chuckled, watching Bruticus fighting Grimlock.

"Wonder how Jack and Arcee are getting on with Airachnid?" Hound asked.

"Hopefully, they are safe. Autobots, we must continue to push forward!" Optimus shouted, pointing down the road, Hound rolling over the car bonnet and Mirage leaping over it.


	21. Chapter 21: Just like old times

The huge door whirred open, blinding Jack with blaring rays of piercing sunlight and heat. He stepped out onto the next winding road to the second checkpoint.

"Okay...we're getting there, let's keep moving" Jack stated.

"No good. Security'll be tighter nearer the facility, we're going to have to divert over the cliffs" Airachnid hissed, pointing up to the overhanging cliff.

"Okay...you've got your spider legs to climb, I've got the suit to fly up...how's Arcee getting up there?"

"Jack, I'm shocked. I'm still pretty flexible you know?" Arcee flirted as she headed to the cliff wall, sticking a sharp boot into a crevasse and beginning her climb. Airachnid shook her head and looked at Jack, eyebrow raised at his gawping mouth, ogling her. Airachnid huffed, a spider limb shutting his mouth.

"You ogle her, but not me? I'm hurt Jack" She chuckled, climbing as well. Jack watched her go, but his eyes always found their way back to his lovely Arcee.

"Beat you there" Jack smirked, boosting up flying over the two Cybertronians and landing on the cliff edge with a thump. He staggered slightly. Jack regained his footing, looking over the miles of flat desert land aloft the cliff. He turned back to the cliff edge, the canyon and mountains stretching out for miles in the opposite direction. More helicopters raced along the canyon in formation.

Suddenly Arcee's hand clambered up and she grunted as she heaved herself up onto the cliff, seeing Jack smirking arms crossed.

What are you smirking at?" she grinned.

"Just you...stubborn as always" He said, watching as she stood up tall and looked down at him, arms crossed.

"Me? Stubborn? Never" She chuckled.

"I'm so glad to have you back Cee" He nodded at her, a smile from ear to ear.

"I'm glad to have you back too" She smiled to him.

"Gah, you two are constantly flirting!" Airachnid rolled eyes as she clambered up. Her foot slipped on a loose rock and to Jack's shock, Arcee caught her hand, hauling her up. Airachnid raised an eyebrow, but accepted, getting herself up onto the cliff, dusting herself off as she nodded at Arcee.

"Thanks?" Airachnid asked. Arcee nodded, turning back to Jack. It was a start.

"Okay, what's the plan, Airachnid?" Jack asked her. She tapped her chin with her feminine finger.

"There's an old abandoned Silo I flew over a few times. It's possible we can sneak in through there" Airachnid thought aloud.

"Not a bad idea. Jack, while I hate to say this...Airachnid and I will go down the silo, while you and Teletraan go to the normal entrance"

"Are you saying...you trust me to go alone, no one to hold my hand?" Jack laughed.

"Don't...make me...repeat it, plus Teletraan will be holding your hand." She smirked, an eye roll and shoulder drop from Jack in response.

_Sir, Arcee is correct. It would make more sense for Silas to focus on us, since he expects us. If he sees us with Arcee and Airachnid, he'll flee. _

"Okay...sounds good. Teletraan's got my back, right buddy?"

_Yes sir, with you till the end. _

"Come on then Arch enemy, we have a human head to collect" Airachnid said as she seductively walked away across the desert. Arcee rolled her eyes.

"Arcee" Jack whispered. "Try not to kill her...and please don't let her kill you"

"I'll try, no promises"

"Of what?" Jack asked.

"Killing her"

"Remember Blackout. Revenge isn't the answer" Jack said like a true grown up. Arcee sighed and shook her head with a laugh.

"What would I do without you?"

Jack shrugged "I don't know. You're hot, you'd find someone"

"Stop complimenting me, I've got to focus" she whispered with a chuckle, bending down and kissing him for the first time in months, eyes closed and a long moan escaping Jack as she drowned him in the kiss. She gently peeled away as she looked at him, his eyes doing flips.

"Not fair, I've got to focus too!" Jack stammered.

"Ah Teletraan does all the work" she smirked as she walked away. Jack chuckled.

"You really do don't you Teletraan?" Jack said realizing just how many times Teletraan had saved him.

_Well...most of it sir_. Teletraan gently laughed.

"Alright...let's go get my mom. Silas dies here" He vowed as the helmet formed over his head and he flew off towards the facility, blazing off into the canyon and flying along the river.

Meanwhile in the facility, watching the screens from his chair, Silas smirked as a security camera watched Jack flying towards the base, darting along the canyon.

"Endgame" He smirked, not knowing about Arcee and Airachnid. June was cuffed to the wall, arms spread wide, unconscious with bruises and cuts to her face. She had a bandage wrapped around her torso from her metal splinter wound months ago.

"Hmm, he truly came alone" He hit the button on a microphone, leaning over to it; he licked his dry lips before speaking.

_Sir?_

"Ready my suit. Jack won't die easily, and I need the body intact...well most of it. I'll handle him"

_Yes sir._

He released the button and leaned back in his chair as he watched Jack near the facility.

...

Arcee and Airachnid walked across the desert till their boots clanged on the sudden metal rim of the huge Silo, lid sealed. Arcee looked at Airachnid, who in turn looked at her.

"After you" Airachnid laughed. Arcee rolled her eyes as she stepped over, aiming her blasters at the huge lock. Airachnid's hand came down slowly on her blasters, lowering them.

"Tssk, tssk. Come now Arcee, you should know better"

"Better about what?" Arcee raised an angered eyebrow as Airachnid slithered her hips over to the huge metal plated hinge of the Silo lid. She ripped off a panel, throwing it over her shoulder into the desert. After several minutes of rewiring and ripping out some wires, a variety of colors to their plastic skin, she stepped back, smiled at Arcee and swung her palms out to display the opening silo lid as it groaned open, sand sliding off of it as it mechanically moaned to stop.

"Ta-da! See Arcee? Always another way" She smirked.

"Mmm-hmm" Arcee grumbled as her eye twitched. Airachnid looked inside the deep empty Silo, darkness filling the bottom. Moments later, the spider bot leaped inside, a few moments later a thud sounding and a voice shouting up.

"All clear...see you in the dark" Airachnid shouted back up evilly with an echoing chuckle. Arcee closed her eyes, took a deep inhale and exhale and readied her blasters. Airachnid could very well attack her in the dark and kill her since the darkness was Airachnid's ally. She then leaped inside, also landing with a thud. It was pitch black as the silo lid resealed above them, plunging them into absolute darkness, no light at all as the crescent arch of light vanished behind the lid. Arcee's heart trembled as she heard spider legs clanking along the ground. She raised her blasters and steadied her breathing, suffering flashbacks of Tailgate's death. Every sound made Arcee flinch, so it was a major shock to her when Airachnid said:

"Arcee, over here" As she pried open a door to the underground base. She then maneuvered under it and stepped out of the Silo.

"She could have ended me so easily...why...why didn't she?" Arcee questioned quietly.

"Are you coming or not?" Airachnid hissed.

"Yeah...yeah I'm right behind you" Arcee stuttered as she jogged over to and then under the door frame into the long stretch of ascending hallways, illuminated by red lights. The hallway had a high ceiling, allowing them to walk at their normal heights, after having gone through the human height doorway.

"I thought Jack was the one that's always behind you" Airachnid chuckled, earning an eye roll and tut from Arcee.

"Oh come on! Who doesn't love a little adult humor" Airachnid laughed as she walked alongside Arcee.

"It's not like that"

"Oh? Bored of our Jack are we?"

"No! And he's _my_ Jack by the way" Arcee laid down the law. Airachnid surrendered her hands up with a smirk.

"Okay, I'll back off...we all know how our little cat fights end"

"More than cat fights...you did once magnetize our hands together so we could only fight one another" Arcee grinned, reminiscing, shaking the smile off her face when she remembered who she was reminiscing with.

"Oh yes! I'd forgotten about that! The old relic...tssk, Breakdown was always a clumsy oaf" Airachnid chuckled. Arcee raised an eyebrow in surprise. She was actually getting along with her arch enemy.

"Yeah...he was. Listen, Airachnid. Breakdown and Silas were once...you know"

"One being? A Frankenstein type...thing? Yes I remember well"

"You...You were the one who was there when he "Died" Arcee raised her fingers in a gesture, obviously mocking the fact that his death was faked. "You obviously didn't kill him"

Airachnid sighed and lowered her head, stopping her walk, along with Arcee.

"He thanked me for terminating him, but just as I went to, I didn't. He offered me a proposal. He harvests the dark Energon from me, giving me back my sentient state, returning me from that dark Energon...thing... back to myself" She gestured to herself. "I took it, and when I was back to normal, I helped him recover, got him out of that body and back on his human feet. But something about being in Breakdown really changed him. He kept going on about making these...organic-machines. Flesh and steel combined" Airachnid solemnly explained.

"Synthesis" Arcee sighed.

"Yes, that word. How did you know that?" Airachnid asked.

"Those soldiers keep babbling and preaching about a future of flesh of steel combined, about being reborn, about being the ultimate species; Organic transformers possibly? I...I don't know" Arcee shrugged.

"You'd think being locked inside that body, he'd want nothing to do with all this" Airachnid snarled.

"He's gone way too far. The only thing he gained from that...experiment was his insanity. He can't be allowed to carry on these experiments" Arcee hissed. Airachind stood silently,eyes closed.

"No...He can't. We stop him here and now" Airachnid vowed. "He killed my Blackout...I want his head!"

"I take it you'll be glad to go solo again after all this" Arcee said, actually surprising herself that she'd give Airachnid an option with her surviving this mission.

"You have no idea" Airachnid sighed with an under breath laugh.

"Come on, we gotta get ready for Jack" Arcee walked in front of Airachnid.

"Yeah...right behind you" Airachnid smirked as she followed Arcee.

...

Meanwhile, Jack neared the huge entrance to the facility, carved into the cliff face. The winding road along the canyon reached the front door, massive and sealed shut, with several armed soldiers guarding it.

"Okay Teletraan, you ready for this?"

_As long as you're sure it will work._

"Not a clue. Okay, ready!" Jack dropped down and jumped from the suit as Teletraan flew off. He watched Teletraan fly off out of sight as he stepped out around the side of the cliff and began walking down the road towards the base.

Jack walked towards the front door, hands on the back of his head as the soldiers aimed at him.

"On your knees!" One shouted, Jack complying as he fell to them on the concrete.

"Okay Silas! I give up! Please don't hurt my mom anymore! I'll do whatever you want!"

From his office he watched the events unfold on the camera footage. He smirked at the sight.

"I knew you'd come you genetic marvel. How did you survive the Energon stage?" He questioned himself.

Suddenly the footage went to a static screen of fuzz, along with the next, and the next, all the camera's being disabled. Silas raised an eyebrow.

_Sir, I have hacked all the cameras and disabled them. Silas is blind. _Teletraan informed Jack in his hidden earpiece. Jack smirked as the soldiers walked over.

"Wait? Silas told us he had a suit? Where's the suit-"

Suddenly Teletraan dropped down, slamming a fist across the soldiers face and dropping him to the concrete with a bang and breaking the concrete, along with the decayed skull. The blue and gold suit immediately spun around, clothes-lining the other guard, as the guard was falling back in mid air, Teletraan brought the other fist around and down on the guard chest, slamming him down, forming a crater around the broken body. He spun around aiming both wrist blasters at the dark Energon cyber-organic soldiers. The human head's split open and dark Energon saliva oozed from the sharp mechanical tongues.

Jack got up from his knees, running and leaping into the back of the suit as it opened up, absorbing him and closing back around him as he slotted back inside.

_Welcome back sir. Locked on and ready to fire._

The three dark Energon soldiers leaped at Jack, shooting one in the head as it dropped from its jump, slapping the concrete dead. The others landed on Jack, tongues slashing his armor and coiling around his arm and neck.

"Hey...arghh...Teletraan? You reckon the E.M.P blast would wipe out these guys?"

_Well it is Cybertronian tech installed in them, running on Dark Energon sir. We'd be better off emitting the high radiation pulse. It would fry the internal circuitry._

Even though two dark Energon soldiers were slashing their tongue at Jack's armor and cambering over him, he still raised an eyebrow.

"We have a radiation pulse, and you wait till now to tell me?!" Jack asked.

_I didn't think it was necessary to mention sir. Emitting now._

Suddenly a thump sounded and an invisible heatwave emitted outwards from the suit, making the soldiers drop to the floor, squirming before the tech that reanimated them failed, sparks blasting up and dark Energon leaking out.

"Ah that was awesome! We're the best! We are the best!" Jack cheered as he struck a heroic pose.

_Sir? You mother?_

"Right yeah...let's go kill Silas" Jack snapped back, walking over the bodies to the door. The huge titan metal door stood before them, like a huge hanger door. The suit stepped off of Jack, like a ghost leaving a body as Jack staggered back. Teletraan walked over to a control panel, working on opening it. Jack stood, tapping his jeans covered thighs and humming to himself.

_Sir? Am I boring you?_

"What? No! It's just...you've been doing it for over a minute now and-"

_I'm sorry sir; would you like to hack the fourteen thousand binary encrypted door fail-safe?_

"Sarcasm? Well played Teletraan. Well played"

_Got it sir, the door is opening now. _

"Thanks buddy" He stepped back into the suit as the two entities merged into one.

Suddenly a huge Mech was stood before them. Jack raised his arm blasters, only for it to drop to its knees and slowly crash down on its side. Arcee and Airachnid stood behind it.

"Ah, so that's where it leads" Airachnid said to herself, not even looking at Jack, looking outside. Arcee however gave him a smile and a wink.

"You two getting along?" Jack asked as Airachnid huffed.

"For now" Arcee glared. She looked back to Jack "Next step?"

"We find and kill Silas. No doubt he'd keep Mom near, I swear if he's hurt her!"

"Jack...calm down. Slow breaths" Arcee's voice soothed him.

Okay...okay...Arcee, you come with me, no doubt Airachnid will be-"

"Quicker on my own. I told you I go solo"

"Mmm hmm. Okay, let's move. Stay out of sight Airachnid" Jack told her. She chuckled at the remark.

"It's like you've never met me Jack" She smirked as she leaped up, her spider claws pulling her into an open ventilation shaft, faint clanging heard as she crawled through it. Arcee looked up as Airachnid left.

"From what Airachnid told me, Silas started to believe all this when he got out of Breakdown's body" Arcee stated as she looked over at more dead human bodies on tables, chest's ripped open and Vehicon sparks havingbeen primitively shoved inside.

"Of course, only someone as twisted as him could get ideas from that hell" Jack sighed.

"Come on. Let's go" Arcee exhaled as she walked towards the long stretch of hallway, leading deeper into his lair.

"Yeah...Just like old times, hey Cee?" Jack smiled.

"Yeah...Just like old times" She gave a gently smirk back.

"Let's go shut M.E.C.H down for good, and save my Mom" Jack hissed as the helmet formed up over his head, the blue slit visor humming.

...

Silas stroked June's cheek as she woke up.

"You...you basta-"

He slapped her face with a crack of his palm, making her head jerk to the left.

"Now now Miss Darby, no bad language. Your son is very special, and I intend to harvest what he contains when he arrives"

"Leave my boy alone" She snarled at him, spitting blood and saliva on his cheek. He simply sighed and wiped it off with his gloved palm.

"Jack better hurry June, because you are starting to aggravate me..." he snarled as he silenced her with a punch, knocking June unconscious again.

A soldier walked in, purple eyes gleaming. "Master, your suit is prepared. Jack is on his way, but he isn't alone. we've got reports of an N.B.E"

"Ah the motorcycle! Arcee is it? Well no matter, my Mech will crush her and dismantle her. Then...the same to Jack" He smirked, looking up at the Mech. It was Breakdown's body, now re-purposed for use with a human host, a seat where the chest used to be, his head gone and replaced with a glass visor windscreen that would slide down over the newly attached cockpit. the rest was still Breakdown's original body.


	22. Chapter 22: End of MECH?

Grimlock slammed against a building, all the windows exploding outwards from the growing crater in the wall. The T-Rex got up from the ground, shaking its head before snarling at Bruticus as he clambered back up to huge titan feet.

Megatron arrived on the scene, landing on a building roof, seeing the events unfold. That was when his eyes locked onto Optimus, sprinting down the long stretch of tarmac with Hound and Mirage in tow.

"Decepticons, Attack!" Megatron roared as Vehicons swarmed the streets below. Bonecrusher rolled around the block corner to see the bots. He began driving the huge buffalo vehicle towards them, slamming into Vehicons and crushing them under wheel as his eyes were fixed on the Prime. He transformed, morphing humanoid as he began skating on his wheeled feet towards Optimus. Prime stood in his tracks at the coming wall of muscular Cybertronian.

"Mirage, Hound, fall back and help Grimlock. I will deal with Bonecrusher"

"Yes sir, come on Mirage!" Hound shouted as they both turned, fleeing to help the huge Dinobot.

Optimus began walking, turning to a jog, then a full on sprint as he ran at the coming titan.

"You survived our encounter in London, Prime! You won't survive this!" Bonecrusher roared as he leaped at him, fist raised, Optimus doing the same.

At that very moment, they hit each other with a magnitude force, erupting outwards in a seismic bang. Optimus was grabbed by Bonecrusher, rolling along the road, ripping up concrete. Bonecrusher pinned him down his foot on Optimus's throat.

"You call yourself a Prime? Well maybe, when I've killed you...I'll have that Matrix" Bonecrusher laughed as he pushed down on Optimus's throat, eyes wide with aggression.

"It-argh-doesn't work like that Bonecrusher!" Optimus explained under foot. Bonecrusher shrugged as he raised his fists in the air.

"I don't care, as long as I get to rip it from your beating-AHHH!"

Bonecrusher looked down in shock at his arched chest, a blade rammed through his torso. Sparks spat and Energon bled heavily. He staggered back as he grasped the blade, sputtering and eyes watering Energon. He turned to face the killer as the blade removed with a sharp tug.

Ratchet stood there, his sword folding back into his arm with a metallic slide. His face was stern, yet solemn.

Bonecrusher dropped to his knees, spluttering as he smiled at the doctor. It was a smile of thanks.

"You're...ahh...my...Primus damned hero Doctor...you know that? Finally...the sweet release...of..." His eyes glimmered to a darkened hole as he slowly fell back with a crash, hands quivering before dropping lifeless. Another hunter was dead. Ratchet walked over to Optimus, offering his hand.

"Once again old friend, you've save me more times than I can mention"

"Shame about Bonecrusher" Ratchet sighed as they looked over the huge dead body.

"He's wanted death for a long time, Using violence to try and achieve it. now he can join the other Constructicons. Another cursed soul like Blackout"

"Yeah, but Bonecrusher was a nasty piece of work"

"That he was...but, we all make mistakes" Optimus pat Ratchet's shoulder as he turned, eyes narrowing as he saw Megatron, stood amass the distant flames. Ratchet turned as well, seeing him.

"Speaking of mistakes" The doctor snarled.

"Ratchet, Go. This must end here, No matter the cost"

"But Optimus-"

"Go! Help the others, attend to the evacuations"

Ratchet shook his head, unable to leave his friend.

"No. I'm with you in this, whether you like it or not. In case you've forgotten...You're my old friend too" Ratchet took up his stance beside Optimus.

"Ahh, the doctor!" Megatron laughed as he stepped forward, his heavy foot bending the warped metal of a burning bus beneath him. He raised his arms out and gestured to himself.

"Ha-ha, come on!"

"Megatron, I have pursued you from one end of the galaxy to the other, but now...this finally ends"

"Oh if only that were true; you and I, we are destined to do this for all eternity"

"Then eternity ends now. One shall stand..."

"One shall fall" Megatron smirked as he leaped off the bus at Optimus and Ratchet.

...

Deep within the Afghanistan mountain ranges, an endgame was in play.

Jack walked carefully through the red illuminated hallways of the base. The sounds of soldiers shouting down the hall startled him and footsteps cried out.

"Cee, you ready?" He asked, already knowing she was as she took her stance, blasters raised.

"Always"

The soldiers turned the corner, aiming at the duo, firing purple Energon from their blaster rifles at them. Jack took cover behind a crate as Arcee ducked behind a column support attached to the ceiling and floor. She aimed around it; one eye closed and lip flaring as she fired a collateral headshot on one of the soldiers.

"And that is why I'm the best" She smirked.

"Uh-huh. Teletraan, you wanna do what you do so well?" Jack knew he had her.

_Yes sir. Locking on to all dark Energon signatures._

Jack leaped up, aiming over the crate at the soldiers. His wrist blasters only got off one shot at them when six purple mechanical spider legs swung down from the ceiling, stabbing and dismembering the soldiers. Dark Energon splurged against the walls and Cybertronian tech fell from the soft flesh. Airachnid dropped down from the ceiling dusting her hands and smirking at them.

"Ahh...no fair" Jack sighed as he dropped his shoulders.

"Aww that's a shame" Arcee smugly chuckled as she walked past him.

"No! W-we were ready, we could have-" Jack tried to speak but was cut off.

"I'm sure" Arcee smirked. Jack dropped his head in defeat as he sulked over to them.

"Okay, I've cleared out the next hallway, now we just need to get to the top of the tower, no doubt he'll be up there" Airachnid explained.

"Sounds like a plan" Jack nodded.

"Jack, you need to go up there alone" Airachnid startled them both, Jack and Arcee looking at one another.

"Hey, look if we go up there, he'll flee. We need Jack to be the main focus so you and I, can sneak up from the outside" Airachnid pointed at Arcee. Her over protectiveness kicked in.

"Look, if you think-"

"Arcee, no she's right. I...I need to be the main focus" Jack agreed, getting an eyebrow lift from Arcee and smirk from Airachnid.

"Told you" She chuckled. Arcee raised a fist and snarled.

"Hey!" Jack clapped. "We came this far, let's see it through. Arcee, I've got Teletraan watching and being my back, right?"

_Of course sir._

"I'll be fine, okay?" he looked directly into Arcee's eyes. She huffed and crossed her arms in a slump.

"Fine. Just be-"

"Careful, I know Cee. I've gotta save my Mom" Jack shuddered.

"We'll get her" Jack looked up, the voice belonging to Airachnid, which startled him. She really was in this till the end. Jack nodded to her as she walked away down the opposite hall. Arcee turned, looking back at Jack as he took a deep inhale and flicked out the numbness of his hands.

"I love you" She smiled. With that she turned and followed Airachnid.

Jack began the long lonely walk down the hallway leading into the complex, no doubt filled with soldiers and Mechs.

"Teletraan? I ever tell you how scared I am?"

_I will protect you with my all sir._

"Thanks buddy" he smiled as he reached the elevator at the end of the hall, a lift up from the underbelly to the heart of the facility. He stepped inside, shutting the doors and beginning the stomach somersaulting ascension to the base above.

Meanwhile Arcee and Airachnid neared the rear entrance to the base, quietly watching from the darkened shadows as the huge doors to the entrance reopened, a large returning squad of soldiers entered, a mech stomping with them.

"Scrap! We need to buy Jack time" Airachnid said.

"We blow our cover, Silas'll run, you know that right?" Arcee asked with a whisper.

"Then we wait, until we have no other choice...my dear Jack had better hurry" Airachnid snarled as they watched the squad, filling the room they passed through moments earlier. By the entrance was the fallen Mech they bested earlier. All the dead soldiers were tossed off the cliff by Airachnid earlier, making the collapsed Mech look like an accident, at least for now.

"Silas, we've got a fallen Mech at the entrance, any idea what happened sir?" One of the soldiers reported.

_"No doubt it was Arcee. Keep an eye out for a large blue robot"_

_"_Yes sir. You heard him! Spread out and search for this bot!" he said, sending the men into the base and some back out onto the road.

"Scrap?" Arcee winced as Airachnid glared at her.

"Nice job" Airachnid rolled her eyes. "Jack, We're running out of time! You need to hurry, or we blow our cover!"

Meanwhile Jack blasted a finishing headshot to the last soldier, dropping it in the now body filled room, his shields still recharging after being dampened by the dark Energon soldiers.

"Okay, okay, I'm climbing the lift straight to the top of the tower now. If he's here, it'll be there" Jack said as he stamped past the bodies, heel clipping the corpse's head as he stepped in the lift, hitting the top floor button. The doors slammed shut and he began the climb, nervous to his trembling core. Will his mom be safe? Will Silas be there? What happens if he is? Jack shook his head clear of these thoughts and focused, shaking his hands of all numb tingling.

"Teletraan?"

_Yes sir?_

"Thanks for everything buddy" Jack exhaled.

_It's not over sir. Not yet. _

Meanwhile Arcee and Airachnid knew that time was running out as the soldiers scoured the room, getting closer and closer to the bots, and in this case, turning into alt modes would hardly help. A blue motorcycle and stealth helicopter wouldn't exactly look inconspicuous in a M.E.C.H stronghold.

"Jack hurry!" Arcee whispered, when suddenly the soldier looked up at them both, staggering back.

"Scrap" Arcee and Airachnid both sighed as the man raised his rifle.

"Silas! Silas, there's two! It's that Airachnid and Arcee!" Suddenly Airachnid leaped out, slicing his dark Energon jugular. Airachnid grabbed his radio from the dead grasp.

"Silas! It's over! You've lost!" she roared into the communicator. She got no response just static. Soldiers fired at them and alarms blared throughout the base. Arcee stepped out, taking her pose against Airachnid's back. Soldiers and Mechs surrounded them.

"Trade one villain for an ally?" Airachnid chuckled.

"Rule gets bent...just this once" Arcee smirked as her wrist blades extended, Airachnid's claws flaying out.

...

_Sir, Arcee and Airachnid have been spotted, our cover is blown._

Jack nodded reluctantly as the lift beeped and halted. With a deep inhale of pure bravery and exhale of trembling fear, he closed the helmet up over his head and hit the door release button. Moments later it hissed and opened, blaster raised as he stepped out into the huge circular room, black reflective polished floor tiles gleaming. Curved tinted glass windows run the length of the room, overlooking the land of Afghanistan. He peered around the room, his raspy breathing heavy from inside the helmet.

In the center of the dark room was a single office chair, polished and shining. A small table next to it, polished black as well. As Jack walked through the room, he could hear the battle and alarms raging floors below. He tilted his head to the sight of a small datapad on the table. He hit the play button and lowered his cannon arm.

"Jack, no doubt you've arrived, but I've left, along with your mother" The voice stated, Jack growling in anger, growing into a roar as he kicked the office chair across the room, cracking against the window pane.

"I see Airachnid has come for me. Maybe this is truly the end of M.E.C.H, but it will be reborn in flesh and steel. Calm down June, calm down. Goodbye Jack, sadly I'll have to unlock the secrets to this without your body to learn from. Hopefully, you'll go out with a bang" Silas chuckled.

_Sir! The room is rigged to blow!_

"Oh shit!" Jack immediately ran at the window, blasting off from his thrusters boots, crashing through the glass as the room erupted, engulfed in a titanic fireball, ripping the tower from the cliff skyline. Jack hurtled out of control from the blast, steadying himself upright in the air thanks to Teletraan.

"Ah shit that was too close" Jack steadied his heart rate as he watched the tower plunge downwards into the base. He peered down at the entrance as Arcee and Airachnid fled, a cloud of debris following them.

_Sir, all of M.E.C.H's work is gone. What has he done?_

"Clean slate. He's got back ups no doubt, and this way no one will come looking for M.E.C.H. He's just faked his death...again" Jack hissed as he flew down to the awaiting Arcee and Airachnid, swiping at the last of the soldiers.

"Heads up!" Jack shouted, blasting the last two soldiers as he slammed into the tarmac. The bodies fell as he stood.

"What the hell happened Jack?" Airachnid asked, angry.

"Easy, look we don't have long. He's blown the base and escaped with Mom. He can't be..." Jack stopped as he saw a signature Huey take off over the cliffs, flying past them and down the canyon, rotors clapping. At the controls were a soldier, and Silas, looking shocked at Jack's survival.

"It's Silas, and he's got mom in that helicopter!"

"He's heading along the river! We'll lose him once he's clear of the canyon!" Airachnid shouted, transforming into her helicopter form and giving chase, dust hitting Arcee and Jack.

"We race on the road, back along the canyon!" Jack shouted as Arcee transformed, hopping on her and immediately racing off as the facility crumbled and tore away from the stone flesh of the Cliff side, crashing down in a tumbling inferno to the river below.

_Sir, shall I will give cover from the air?_

"Yeah, go! Go!" Jack shouted as Teletraan took the suit from Jack and bellowed off to assist Airachnid. Arcee and Jack raced across the winding road they came through previously.

"Jack? Why didn't you go with Teletraan?" Arcee asked.

"Because you are and always will be my partner...and, I've got an idea...I think" Jack smirked, though terrified that Silas could escape forever, along with June. Arcee felt extremely warm from that compliment. They had to hurry though, time was truly short.

M.E.C.H was finally shut down, but Silas was still alive. As long as he lived, so did M.E.C.H and its psychotic vision of the future.


	23. Chapter 23: Silas's last stand

Arcee and Jack raced back to the checkpoint, the huge door sealed,

"Cee, stop!" Jack shouted as she complied. He got off, watching Silas fly past, chased by Airachnid and Teletraan, gunfire shared between them as they fought through the sky in chase. Jack peered down the cliff to the river, a small rickety boat dock and speed boat.

"Cee, come on!" He said as he clambered down the hill as quickly as he could, Arcee following in robot mode. She scooped him up and leaped, making a long decent a quick journey.

She put Jack down and he quickly got in the boat as it wobbled on the dusty water. He tugged his hand on the cable connected to the engine block, revving.

"Come on! Come on!" He cried out, in despair. After four good tugs it spluttered and the fan began to spin.

"Yes Ha-Ha!" Jack cheered with relief. Luckily Arcee was small and light for her species and got in, barely rocking it, she knelt down at the front as Jack controlled the boat, giving chase on the water, avoiding all the checkpoints and locked gates on the road, directly under Silas's helicopter. He put the engine through its paces, foaming water lapping at the front of the boat as they bounced along the river.

Jack could not believe how quickly they had to commandeer this boat. He had no idea how to use one, but simply used his adrenaline and determination to guide the way.

Arcee lay at the front, aiming her blaster and firing at the helicopter, only stopping suddenly when she realized June was aboard.

"Don't hit the helicopter, June's on it!" She told Teletraan and Airachnid. The stealth helicopter roared overhead.

"So's Silas!"

"Airachnid, don't!" Arcee warned, aiming at Airachnid if need be.

"Graaah! Fine!" She agreed, chasing for now as the M.E.C.H helicopter flew further along the river. Jack tried to keep up on the boat as they splashed along the river, M.E.C.H helicopters joining them from above, firing at them. Arcee took aim, hitting the rear rotors if she could. The dark Energon soldiers fell from one helicopter as the tail collapsed and it began to spin wildly, crashing against the cliff wall, erupting in debris and flames.

The other two were taken down as Airachnid transformed, landing on it and ripping out its rear rotor, leaping into the other one, sending them both out of control to the earth below. They both exploded and rolled along the ground engulfed in flames, hissing as they hit and sank under the river.

She immediately reformed, rotors clapping above the water as she lifted up after Silas.

On the water, Arcee and Jack gave chase best they could, dodging the peaks of sharp rocks and falling debris.

_Sir! Silas is nearing escape! If he clears with canyon, we won't be able to keep up with him! He'll escape!_

Jack had to think and fast, his adrenaline gave him one crazy thought. He had to try it. Anger and desperation ravaged and tore at his heart.

"Teletraan! Grab me!" He roared, holding his hand up as Teletraan flew over, the suit hand grasping Jack's and lifting off with him, the suit pulling Jack inside as it reshaped around him as he flew after the helicopter.

"Jack! Go!" Arcee shouted as she tried to steer the boat. He boosted the thrusters, blasting by Airachnid with a sonic boom. Jack narrowed his eyes as he neared the helicopter.

Silas looked up from the controls, leaving his co pilot as he stepped into the back, seeing June on the seat. He was desperate, he needed them to stop following. He raised a pistol to June's bruised head.

"Forgive me Miss Darby" He sighed. She closed her trembling eyes and took a deep sigh as the barrel pressed against her head. Just then, as Silas began to squeeze the trigger, a loud rumbling got his attention.

"Argh!" Jack roared as he flew through the open bay of the helicopter, grabbing Silas in a tackle and flying off with him in grasp. June sighed relief as the barrel slid off her head, a shot ringing out as Jack had saved her. She saw her son flying off across the desert with Silas in grip, something massive following as well, unknown.

Jack repeatedly punched Silas's face with his armored fists, each blow bellowing.

"YOU THINK...YOU CAN THREATEN...MY MOTHER?!" Jack roared as they dropped from the sky, Silas punched and head butting Jack's exposed face.

_Sir, Silas is draining out power somehow! We are dropping!_

Silas laughed as a huge Suit followed them, smoke trailing from behind.

_Sir, he has a suit of his own! It matches Breakdowns design! It's draining our power supply!_

"Big brave Jack!" Silas laughed as he punched Jack, dropping very low, Jack's suit clipping a mountain peak as they fell to a long abandoned runway, connected to a war torn airport terminal. Jack dropped Silas as he rolled along the tarmac.

_Brace sir!_

Jack crashed into the flat runway, cracking the concrete and shredding Armour plates as he skidded along the ground. He came to a stop, groaning as he pushed himself up, seeing the huge body of Breakdown land behind Silas with a thud.

"You aren't the only advanced one Jackson Darby!" Silas roared, making his last stand as he clambered into the chest cockpit, the glass windscreen closing over the cockpit. Jack stood up, servos whirring and sparks spitting from his mechanically coated shoulders.

"You are but a boy! Why can you not die?" Silas roared. Jack wiped his metal sleeve along his mouth, smearing the blood.

"Because I have too much to live for" Jack smirked as the helmet clipped up over his head, taking his stance as he faced the massive Mech.

"So be it, Jack" Silas smirked as he raised his arms inside the cockpit, the suit copying him. The Breakdown Mech's arm formed a hammer, swinging at Jack, slamming against his chest with a metallic bang, sending him rolling along the tarmac in agony. Silas chuckled, knowing he had the upper hand in this fight.

Jack climbed to his feet with a stagger as he looked up at the Huey coming down from the sky. Airachnid leaped onto the side of it, quickly grabbing June and jumping off of it. The force of her push off made it drop out of control, spinning wildly, erupting in a ball of fire across the tarmac behind Silas, and making the huge suit turn to see it.

Silas saw Airachnid and lifted his wrist, smirking. "Should have stayed squashed, bug" He fired a missile from the wrist.

Airachnid's eyes widened, sheltering June and covering her with her own body, taking the missile to her side, blowing her from the sky and dropping to the tarmac with a thud. Jack's eyes widened at the sight, and he turned his angered attention to Silas, still focusing on Airachnid. Jack took his chance.

He launched off, landing on the Breakdown Mech's huge back. He climbed over the mech as Silas tried to swat him away.

"This looks important!" Jack mocked as he grabbed a handful of wires and ripped all of them out, making Silas groan. He dropped the wires and tried to get off, only for Breakdown's arm to reach up and grab him, throwing him down on the ground with a winding thud, damaging Jack's suit further.

Silas couldn't see properly through the malfunctioning HUD on the cockpit, so he ejected it, making himself vulnerable. The glass crashed against the ground and he stormed the suit over to Jack, picking the injured boy up, slamming him back down with a gasp of pain.

"Thirty years I've spent holding M.E.C.H up!" He kicked Jack's helmeted head, breaking the helmet.

"I built this company, this idea from nothing!" He grabbed Jack by the scuff of his suit's neck.

"And now nothing is going to stand in my way. Least of all you" He snarled, throwing Jack across the tarmac.

_Sir...I...I ggkndnv...error. Shutting dowww..._

"Teletraan! Buddy no! Speak to me!" Jack pleaded as Teletraan failed, the suit falling off of him, rolling over, all its lights failing as Jack crawled forward in his casual clothes. He looked up at Breakdown and Silas recombined in this Mech.

"Goodbye Jack!" Silas roared, only for several spider legs to coil around the suit, pulling it back as Airachnid roared, slicing and ripping the mech apart. Silas punched and swatted at her. He grabbed one of Airachnid's legs with Breakdown's huge arms and ripped it off, making her squeal in agony. He threw the agony stricken hunter from his suit and swatted her with her own leg. In the background Arcee arrived, leaping over the flaming helicopter and punching Silas's suit, defending Airachnid to her surprise.

Arcee aimed blasters at the suit's knees firing, missing his vicious suit swings. The knees of the Mech buckled and Airachnid finished it with a stab of her spider limbs, breaking the legs making the Mech fall back. He finally aimed the suits missiles, hitting Arcee and blowing her back unconscious. Airachnid also passed out from the pain, too weak to fight anymore.

"Cee!" Jack cried as she stumbled over Airachnid, a pile of unconscious Cybertronians. Breakdown lay on his back, lifeless and on fire.

Then...Silas clambered out of the cockpit, staggering. Jack was cut, bruised and broken. He tried to get up, when Silas saw him, walking around the side of his dead Mech and grabbing an emergency fire axe from the burning cockpit. With it in grip, he rolled up his scorched sleeves and raised it above his head as he wandered over to Jack, eyes filled with insanity. Jack fell on his back, crawling away as Silas brought the axe down, sparks flying as it chipped the tarmac. Jack kept shuffling away as Silas kept walking towards him. He lifted the Axe again and brought it down, this time on Jack's right leg, cutting it clean off at the knee.

The sharpest, venomous burning and tingling rushed to the area and Jack screamed in unbelievable agony. Blood spurted out over the Tarmac as he pulled himself away the best he could, dizziness and blurry vision overcoming him. He saw his right lower leg not moving as he continued to slide back, a trial of red leading from his severed leg.

Silas chuckled as he walked forward raising the axe again. Jack winced and closed his eyes.

"Goodbye-"

"NOBODY HURTS MY BABY!" Came the voice of June, cracking a metal pole against Silas's head with all her might, making the pole ring out and hum. He dropped to the ground, dropping the axe. He shook his head and grabbed the axe, getting up and swinging at June, the nurse falling back, dropping the pole. Jack had to act, now.

Suddenly Jack's suit began latching onto Silas, confusing the madman as he dropped the axe, trying to rip the armor off of himself as Teletraan launched all the suit parts onto him, putting Silas inside it. He growled as the thrusters spluttered and lifted Silas upwards into the air.

_Goodbye...Jack, thank you for making me feel...alive._

Teletraan flew upwards with Silas locked in the suit, bellowing up into the air. Jack watched in agony and awe as Teletraan flew up into the sky. Silas ripped the shoulder plates off but it was too late.

_Detonating suit. Farewell Silas._ Teletraan chuckled.

Silas's eyes widened as he looked miles down at the runway. "JAAAAA-" He roared, suddenly the helmet sealing around his head and finally the suit erupting in a titanic fireball, miles above the runway.

Jack shielded his eyes with his wrist as he watched Teletraan sacrifice himself. He watched Silas finally die. There was no coming back from that. A huge mushroom cloud plumed in the sky above them and debris rained down over the land. Jack sighed relief and lent his head back.

He slid only one foot forward, not feeling the right one at all. He remembered the agony, the pain. June heard her son crying out in unbelievable pain and saw his severed leg. She clambered to her exhausted feet and ran to her son.

"Jack! My god! Are you okay? God I...I need to get you to safety! You're leg!" She quickly ripped her sleeve off and wrapped it around Jack's leg, tightening it and stopping the bleeding best she could.

Across the runway, Arcee sat up with a groan, covered in dents and soot, scratched and scuffed. Airachnid moaned as she too sat up, holding her head.

"Arghh...my head...Silas! Where is he?" Arcee asked. Airachnid chuckled as she pointed up at the cloud of smoke.

"Whoa...Jack...Jack!" She got up running over, gasping in shock as she saw the state of him. She slowed her sparkrate and clutched his hand while June did whatever she could.

"Oh my Primus. Jack hold on okay! Please Allspark hold on!" she pleaded. He nodded as his face began to go pale. June concentrated, bandaging up the leg with all she could find, ripped parts of her jacket, her scrubs, whatever she could. The bleeding had stopped and the tight pressure of the wraps was helping the wound.

Arcee saw Airachnid watching, smirking. She got up, glaring at her.

"I guess this is when you betray?" Arcee readied her blades. Airachnid shook her head.

"Nah...not today"

"W-what?"

"What can I say? Maybe you've grown on me, maybe Jack has. I don't know...we were a great team...but, I fly solo"

"So when we next meet?"

"Consider this...a head start" Airachnid winked as she transformed, flying off, missing a rotor. Arcee watched her leave, a smile of relief on her face. She could do without that for today. She raised a finger to her ear.

"Raf, we need a bridge, directly to the hospital, now!" Arcee ordered.

"Working on it Arcee...and...got it!" A Ground Bridge flickered open and Arcee lifted Jack up as she carried him. It was too late to save his leg, now engulfed in flames. June looked back at the destruction, a sight that would have been all of their graves if it wasn't for one brave A.I and a super advanced suit.

"Thanks...Teletraan" She smiled as she left through the bridge. But celebrations could wait. Jack was wounded badly, and it wasn't over yet. Megatron was still at war with Optimus...But Silas was finally dead. M.E.C.H was finished.


	24. Chapter 24: Duel of the fates

**Author notes: Best read with Duel of the fates playing! Haha that's how i wrote it! Blaring that on full, good old John Williams! Okay, enjoy the finale!**

* * *

Meanwhile a war of the Cybertronians raged in Washington.

Grimlock slammed his tail against Bruticus's leg, knocking the titan to his knees. The tyrannosaurus spun around, leaping up and locking teeth tight on Bruticus's lowered head. With all his weight, Grimlock pulled down ripping the head from the body, pulling the decapitated body of Bruticus down with a thud.

Grimlock spat the head out and watched as the worn out, wounded remaining Combaticons fell apart from Bruticus.

"Don't even think about it" Mirage smirked as he and Hound stood over the cons weapons raised. The Combaticons sighed and raised their hands in defeat. Mirage peered up as Grimlock ran off, tail swinging behind him.

"Where's he off to?"

"No idea. Come on, let's make sure these-"

Before Hound could finish a Ground Bridge opened up behind the cons and the remaining Combaticons rolled over, transforming and heading through it. Hound opened fire on it only to see it close; Soundwave stood looking over them from aloft a rooftop.

"Strong silent type?" Mirage chuckled as he readied his blades.

"You could say that. Too bad he's too weak to take us on!" Hound shouted. Soundwave stepped off the building, plunging to the ground with a thud. He stood tall and looked at them with unseen eyes. He began slowly walking towards them.

Hound nodded with a smirk as he readied his combat blade, Mirage spinning his blades.

"Here we go" Hound chuckled as he lunged, Soundwave lunging back; swinging fists while ducking and dodging the swipes of Mirage and Hound's blades.

"Damn he's good, argh!" Mirage stated as he fought.

...

Megatron kicked Ratchet against the wall, ready to slam his fist through the old medics head. SuddenlyOptimus delivered a devastating punch to Megatron's temple, knocking him back before he could kill Ratchet.

"I'm fine...Optimus" Ratchet said as he staggered up. Optimus stared at Megatron as he smirked back. Suddenly a sonic boom sounded and a jet engine hummed.

Blitzwing dropped from the sky, slamming down on his feet beside Megatron. He smirked villainously.

"Prime" He chuckled, though both Megatron and Blitzwing dropped smiles when loud thumping footsteps sounded. Optimus and Ratchet parted as a titan of a Dinobot stood between them. Grimlock snarled as Jetfire walked beside him, still dwarfed by Grimlock.

"An epic battle, huh Jetfire!" Blitzwing laughed as he swung his sword "How is Silverbolt?"

"I'll kill you" Jetfire swore.

"You can take the Aerial bot. Optimus is mine" Megatron smirked.

"For now" Blitzwing growled.

"You will fall Megatron"

"Ratchet, you sit this one out" Jetfire ordered.

"Yeah...argh...probably best. Stay safe Optimus" Ratchet limped away holding his chest.

"Rafael, I argh...require a bridge" Moments later a green portal opened up and Ratchet staggered through as it immediately closed behind him. He wasn't doing anyone any good being there.

Now it was Optimus, Jetfire and Grimlock. Grimlock snarled with huge metal teeth as he swiped his tail behind him.

Megatron assumed his stance, along with Blitzwing.

"Attack!" Megatron roared, leaping at Optimus as he did the same. The two hit each other with magnitude force, blowing back in a ball of mechanical warriors. Grimlock lunged at Blitzwing, the tyrant dodging the beast and slashing his blade along the Dinobot's chest, swinging around and locking with Jetfire, snarling at one another.

...

Meanwhile Ultra Magnus gave cover from the air, engaging the ground forces as Fowler's Rangers rescued the last pockets of civilians. Beneath the ship defending the helicopters was Bumblebee and Smokescreen, Sideswipe's location unknown.

A group of Vehicons stood before them, surrounding the Autobots. The Blackhawk lifted off when a Vehicon blasted up, melting and dissolving the rear rotor as the military craft spun out of control above the city, engines wailing. A swirling cloud of smoke plumed from the rear as it fell.

"No!" Bumblebee shouted as it fell out of sight.

At the same time, a block away, Grimlock saw the helicopter. His Dinosaur form wore off and he transformed back running and leaping up, grabbing the helicopter from the sky. He swung his body around as he hugged the vehicle and crashed along his back, landing and flattening a parked van like it was made of paper.

"You all okay?" Grimlock asked with a groan as the shaken passengers trembled and nodded.

"Good...Me Grimlock save you"

"T-thanks?" A terrified soldier stuttered. Grimlock couldn't relax for long. He peered up and Saw Blitzwing pin his arch enemy to the wall and raise his blade as Jetfire kicked it from his grasp.

"Me Grimlock gonna have to put you down now. Me needed elsewhere" He snarled he rested the wreck on the squashed van and began running at Blitzwing, his fire sword extending in an inferno. He swung it over his head and slammed it down on Blitzwing, only for the insane being to roll backwards into his tank form and blast a shell into Grimlock chest, knocking him back.

Jetfire grabbed the tank barrel and snapped it off, making Blitzwing groan in pain. Blitzwing transformed, slamming a fist at Jetfire, only for the Aerial bot leader to swing the tank barrel and crack it across Blitzwing's jaw, throwing him back. He dropped the humming pole and lunged at the staggering Blitzwing.

Grimlock clambered to his feet to see Megatron fighting Optimus. They were slamming punches and Optimus was dodging Megatron's cannon blasts. Grimlock rose to his feet and swung his blade as he went to save Prime.

...

Bumblebee demolished the head of a Vehicon as the others fell before him. he looked at Smokescreen who shrugged.

"Hey, it wasn't me!"

Two bot's walked over, smiling.

"So, when do I get to wreck something?" Wheeljack smirked.

"Yeah, I've been held hostage too long!" Jazz chuckled.

"Jazz! Wheeljack! Who got you guys outta there?" Bumblebee asked. They turned and Sideswiped rolled between them.

"I aim to please. Got em in the middle of this craziness"

"Good job gu-"

Bumblebee was cut short as Megatron flew through a shop, glass and concrete exploding around him. Grimlock ran through the shop as well, slamming his sword down, only for Megatron to roll aside. Optimus leaped at Megatron, slamming his fist against his skull.

"This is insane!" Sideswipe laughed.

"Come on, we gotta hold off these cons!" Bumblebee raised his cannons along with Wheeljack and Jazz as more Vehicons arrived.

"Is Cee okay?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah, she's back. hope they're okay" Bumblebee updated Jazz.

"Noticed a few more bots on our side"

"Yeah! One big happy family" Bumblebee laughed as he shot a Vehicon.

...

Soundwave staggered back after receiving a hefty blow to his temple. He shook his head, the screen on his face cracked, and a red eye gleaming behind the broken visor. Hound stood still on the spot, fists clenched. In the distance, a red pickup and green SUV raced over. Soundwave snarled and raised his fists. Mirage leaped at him as Soundwave blasted him with a sonic boom, blowing him against the wall. Bulkhead and Ironhide stood beside Hound and Mirage. Soundwave was outnumbered.

"And then there were two" Starscream smirked as he landed beside Soundwave, striking a stance as he stood beside him, to Soundwave's amazement.

...

Megatron pinned Optimus down, pushing His severed sword down like a dagger, Optimus trying to push it away from his optics. Megatron smirked as he scraped the broken blade along Optimus's forehead. Suddenly a swift slice of Grimlock's fire sword sent Megatron flying off of him, sliding along the ground, standing tall and clenching his fists and teeth.

Optimus stood up alongside Grimlock as a faint rumbling sounded. Optimus turned as Scorponok leaped from the tarmac, grabbing Optimus, slicing and slashing at him.

"For Blackout, you monster!" Optimus couldn't grab him as he ripped out chunks of his chest. Suddenly Scorponok felt a tug on his tail and Grimlock lifted him up by it. He threw Scorponok at the wall and swung his sword as Scorponok immediately leaped back, cutting the Scorpion clean in two, killing him as he fell to the concrete. His anger, like Blackout got him killed.

Grimlock turned as Megatron snarled. He was battered and scuffed. He raised his fists. Optimus did the same and Grimlock raised his sword. Megatron lunged, sliding along his knees, leaning his head back under Grimlock's sword swing. He got up, slamming a fist against Optimus, a round house kick blowing the Prime back. Grimlock swung the sword again, Megatron ducking under it and blasting his cannon into Grimlock's exposed chest, knocking the Dinobot leader back. He continued to fire at him as he dropped the sword and fell backwards.

"Fall! Fall!" Megatron snarled, blasting shots at him. the purple energy destroyed Grimlock's chest. He dropped to his knees. Megatron laughed.

"Time to stop pretending to be a hero Grimlock. Be what you are, a monster!" a rage filled hue glowed over Grimlock and his fists tightened. Fire engulfed Grimlock's spine as he lifted his rage filled eyes.

"So be it!" Grimlock roared, slamming his fists into the ground and turning back into the titanic dinosaur, roaring into the sky before bringing his jaws down on Megatron, biting his cannon and arm and ripping it clean off at the shoulder. Megatron staggered back in agony as Optimus ran over, picking up Grimlock's fire sword and roaring as he swung it across Megatron's chest, knocking him back with a fire ravaged slice across his torso, his arm decapitated.

"Argh! Soundwave! I require an immediate bridge! Shockwave! Fire the satellite, drop the rod on Washington!" He roared as he fell through the portal, Optimus just missing it as it closed.

"No!" Optimus roared, so close to finishing him.

Meanwhile Starscream staggered back from Ironhide's punch.

"Did he just say? Gah, I'm outta here!" Starscream cried as he flew off into sky, along with Soundwave as all the Decepticons fled.

"Oh that can't be good" Bulkhead groaned.

Optimus walked over to them along with the still furious Dinobot.

"Optimus, what's going on?" Bumblebee asked as he arrived on scene with the other bots.

"Jackie!" Ironhide and Bulkhead cheered. He smiled back, all turning their attention to Optimus. The only Autobots unaccounted for were Ultra Magnus who was still in the ship, and Jetfire.

Jetfire slammed a fist down on Blitzwing. He smirked and blasted off into the sky with a transformation, fleeing as well.

"Coward!" Jetfire roared.

Optimus was at the same time, explaining to the Autobots. "Megatron intends to drop the uranium rod on Washington. It would be catastrophic"

"But the Earth's orbit is huge! How can we find the satellite in time? We need to know exactly where it is to hit it!" Smokescreen shouted.

"Perhaps I can help" Everyone parted as Barricade walked in with a smirk.


	25. Chapter 25: Everyone has to die sometime

"So you're telling us that the Satellite is directly above us? We can just fly up and hit it? Seems too good to be true" Sideswipe snarled, turning his attention to Optimus.

"Do we believe him? He is a con" Jazz hissed at Barricade.

"Was" Barricade pointed to the scratched off logo on his arm. Optimus rubbed his chin.

"Look, I can understand you not trusting me, hell I don't even know what I'm gonna do after this. All I know is...Megatron can't be allowed to just lay waste to this planet. My issues are with my own kind...Not humans" Barricade sighed at the irony of his life.

"Barricade...what you said shows that your ways are truly behind you. You faced the irony in your words head on, and were willing to throw your Decepticon life away to help us...I thank you" Optimus said to him. Barricade gave a humble nod and smile.

"Here, a tracker I planted on old Screamy's back. It should let you know exactly where the station is. Go hit it..." he handed the small beeping device to Optimus. He looked at Jetfire as he walked over, opening a comm link to Magnus as he flew the huge ship overhead.

"Ultra Magnus, This is Optimus Prime. Megatron plans to drop a rod on Washington. You will stay and help evacuate the last civilians"

"Yes sir"

"Rafael, Ratchet. I want you to be on immediate ground bridge rescue if we fail to stop the rod. No more Autobots die under my command"

"Sure thing Optimus" Raf responded. Optimus lowered his finger from his antenna.

"Autobots. Until further notice, work on evacuating as many as possible. This ends here" Optimus's jet pack wings extended out and his back thrusters warmed up.

"Will do sir. Autobots lets move out!" Jazz nodded as all the bots agreed, scattering outwards.

"Jetfire! Let's roll!" Optimus proudly exclaimed as he blasted up into the sky, followed by the huge jet form of Jetfire. The two beings roared up through the icy cotton of the clouds, rolling over itself as Optimus blasted through, followed by Jetfire.

Meanwhile back in Washington. A now calmed down Grimlock walked over to the Autobots, smiling at them.

"Hey Grim! Good fight I hear" Smokescreen chuckled. Suddenly a loud crackle of jet engines broke the happy reunion. Coming in hot from the clouds, pulling up and racing towards them was the very large Cybertronian fighter of Skywarp, blasting straight at them, a final attempt on Jazz's life.

"Ah man" Jazz said as he stepped back, defending the group of terrified humans as the families huddled, waiting for the inevitable death. Bulkhead snarled at the sight, raising his wrecking ball fist.

Grimlock looked over his shoulder at the Autobots, turning and stepping forward down the straight road.

"Hey Grimlock! Err now might be a really time to get angry" Smokescreen huffed. All the Autobots stepped back as Skywarp's jet grew nearer and nearer. The loud rumbling now deafening. Grimlock continued to stroll forward. He peered back.

"That is me Grimlock's secret Smokey" He stopped walking and turned to face them, Skywarp now only a few yards away.

"Me Grimlock always angry" He turned, as if in slow motion, transforming into his titanic dinosaur form, slamminghis head against the huge Jet, crushing the front of the cockpit and crumpling the plane as he dug his huge Dinosaur toes into the concrete, ripping and crumbling around his feet as he slid back, roaring in anger the whole time. Grimlock chomped down on the Decepticon's wing, slamming the huge jet down into the ground, biting and tearing the wing off as Skywarp cried out in agony, transforming into his robot form. Grimlock released his bite and bellowed a huge roar at Skywarp, lifting his head up, his mouth filling with fire.

"No! No! Barricade help!" He tried to scuffle away. Barricade stood silently watching. Skywarp locked eyes with Jazz.

"For Thundercracker!" He roared as he lunged, Grimlock blasting a wall of fire over the Ex-Seeker. He writhed in pain, still walking forward as to get to Jazz. He dropped to his melting glowing knees as he oozed heat, the metal of skin white hot, his body now soft and malleable.

"Go ahead...argh...finish it" Skywarp groaned. Grimlock stood staring at the kneeling Seeker.

"FINISH IT!" He bellowed at the Dinobot.

Grimlock roared, swiping his tail around, decapitating Skywarp's head. The hot metal head bounced along the road and the rapidly cooling body slumped back with a bang. Now only one hunter remained: Blitzwing.

"Consider that...my resignation from the hunters" Barricade nervously chuckled, Grimlock snarling at him. Jazz pat his back.

"Welcome back where you belong"

Barricade smiled and nodded. He then sighed. "But that's just it Jazz. I don't belong. I mean what; I take my brother's place? Nah...Not my style. Maybe...maybe I'll do what Airachnid did...go solo, for good I mean, not evil. You guys ever need a hand...I'm not gonna be too far away" Barricade knew he could never rehabilitate into the Autobots. Jazz nodded and respected his choice.

"Thanks for your help...See ya around. Don't make us kill you"

"Don't worry...A new leaf, as Optimus told Prowl once...ha!" Barricade smiled as he turned away, transforming into this black mustang.

On his rear wheel arches, what once said "_to_ _punish and enslave"_ now read "_to protect and serve_"

"See you bots around"

"No doubt" Bumblebee smiled as Barricade drove off with Frenzy in his passenger seat.

"You reckon he'll stay on that path?" Bulkhead asked Jazz.

"I hope so Bulk. I really do"

The moment was broken by a cry. "No! Grimlock! Drop it!" They all turned with raised eyebrows at the huge T-Rex munching on Smokescreen's Energon rifle.

"Drop it! Gri-" a swat of his tail sent Smokescreen flying backwards as Grimlock barely bat an optic, enjoying the gun. Bumblebee, Ironhide and Bulkhead laughed as the rookie rubbed his head, sitting up. Jazz smirked and shook his head, looking up at the sky. Wheeljack looked up as well.

"Hopefully, they can get it done"

"Yeah...I really hope they do" Jazz sighed.

...

The blue abyss of the sky started to turn black as they breached the atmosphere, roaring up towards the now visible super weapon. It was titanic in size, the huge barrel aimed at Earth, Washington in particular. The parts of the Harbinger used to create this monolith of dread and destruction.

"Jetfire, I see the weapon"

"Primus, it's huge! How do we destroy it?"

"I don't know, not yet. Keep moving!" Optimus roared as he blasted higher up into the orbit of Earth, dodging slow moving debris and satellites, the littered orbit of Earth making it difficult to manoeuvre. Jetfire scraped his underbelly along a satellite as he cleared the debris field, the vast emptiness of space becoming more omnipotent.

They neared the massive space station, a group of huge plates at the barrel moving and shifting as the barrel extended, humming.

"Jetfire, we are out of time, they are about to drop the rod!"

"We won't make it in time! Optimus what do we do?"

Optimus narrowed his eyes at the bridge of the satellite, a red eye gleaming. Shockwave was at the controls.

"Lord Megatron, Optimus is attempting to assault us? What shall I do?"

"DROP THE ROD!" Megatron roared, clenching his only fist and teeth. Shockwave nodded, pressing the button. Inside the barrel a mechanism activated, and a set of small mechanical arms lowered the glowing rod, around the size of a truck, into the barrel, holding it, ready to release. Suddenly it did, the rod falling from the station, beginning it's decent.

Megatron smirked. "Save them now Optimus!"

Optimus gasped at the sight, boosting towards the rod. Jetfire tried to assist when a huge being slammed into him, forcing him to transform as he hurtled away. When he finally steadied himself, Blitzwing swung his sword, Jetfire dodging it. He grasped Blitzwing's wrist, staring at the monster.

"Tell Silverbolt I said hello!" He laughed demonically, pushing Jetfire over the mental edge. He swung the sword.

"Tell him yourself!" Jetfire roared, swooping to the left, slamming his fist into Blitzwing's side, tearing out his T-Cog. He pressed his boots on Blitzwing's pain filled chest and pushed with all his might as Blitzwing hurtled off out of control unable to transform.

"NOOOO!" He screamed as he was lost to the depths of space, unable to ever transform, destined to drift on his own, forever, alone with his monstrous thoughts for all eternity; A fate worse than death. His own inescapable Asylum.

"Don't worry, I'll tell him" Jetfire smirked, finally the monster was gone. Jetfire turned as he floated in space, seeing Optimus hurtling toward the rod.

"Optimus! No!" He cried.

Optimus raised his palms and pressed them against the rod as it forced down on him, pushing him back down to Earth. Optimus forced his jetpack into overdrive, roaring back up, slowly lifting from Earth's gravitational grip. Megatron raised an eyebrow over Shockwave's shoulder.

"Where's the big explosion?" Starscream asked. Megatron's optics widened in sheer horror as he saw Optimus holding the rod over his back as he flew up towards the station.

"Whoa! Decepticons! Flee!" He roared as Soundwave opened a bridge to the Nemesis, Megatron clambering through, along with Starscream and Knockout, finally Soundwave. Shockwave stayed seated, looking at Optimus as he neared.

"Everyone has to die sometime Shockwave" Optimus groaned as he released the rod, the vacuum of space pulling it on its trajectory towards the station.

Shockwave stayed in the empty bridge as he watched the rod near the window.

"Oh" Shockwave let out a faint chuckle. "That was...logical" He congratulated Optimus as the reflection of the rod gleamed on his red eye. Soundwave's bridge closed immediately.

Suddenly the rod slammed through the bridge, exploding in a titanic fireball, collapsing the station as it blew apart, the entire compartment of stored rods erupting as well. The entire station plumed outwards in a colossal explosion, the shock wave blowing Optimus out of control towards Earth's atmosphere. Chunks of the station fell past Optimus as they were devoured by the atmosphere.

Jetfire raced after him as Optimus set on fire, hurtling unconscious through the atmosphere.

...

On earth, In Washington, the evacuations were complete and all the Autobots cheered at the actually visible explosion in orbit, high above the earth. Ironhide, Bulk and Wheeljack thumped fists and hugged, knowing the rod threat was no more.

"This is Jetfire! Optimus is out of control, I can't reach him! Does anyone copy?" Bumblebee raised his finger to his ear.

"This is Bumblebee! Can you reach him at all?"

"No He's too far, gah I'm trying!"

Everyone heard, ceasing their cheers and looking up as a faint black dot became visible in the blue sky.

"He's falling fast!"

"He won't survive that fall!"

"What do we do?" The Autobots fell into disarray as their leader fell.

Optimus fell through the clouds, hurtling to the ground. Just as he was sheer yards from the ground, A massive being leaped up, grabbing his waist and falling down on his back with a thud, protecting Optimus as he slid to a stop by a shop window. It was Grimlock.

Grimlock sighed with relief as he rolled Optimus over. All the Autobots ran over.

"Nice job Grimlock! You save him!" Jazz congratulated as he checked Optimus over.

"Me Grimlock help family" He groaned as he stood up.

"You did good" Hound smiled. Grimlock felt warmth in his chest. He felt truly part of this group. Jazz looked over Optimus as Jetfire arrived, landing on his feet after transforming.

"Is he okay?" Jetfire asked, worried for his leader. Suddenly Optimus gasped awake. All the Autobots sighed with relief, lowering their tensed shoulders and heads.

"Where am I? Did we stop Megatron?" Optimus asked all at once.

"Yeah, he's fine. Up ya get Prime" Jazz chuckled as he grasped his leader's hand, hauling him up to his feet with a groan, staggering slightly.

"Autobots...you honor me with your incredible bravery. Thank you, for helping us in our desperate time of need"

Ultra Magnus landed after taking the last civilians to safety. He exited the ship and walked over to Optimus.

"The battle is over. Excellent work" Magnus smiled.

"The battle truly is. But the war still rages, as long as Megatron lives. But, for now...this is a victory for the Autobots"


	26. Chapter 26: Farewells

"Incompetence!" Megatron roared at his crew on the Nemesis Bridge as the ship hurtled through space, cloaked. They all cowered back slightly except for Soundwave who simply went back to work.

"But my lord, we still control all the other cities" Starscream winced.

"I can assure you Starscream, we most certainly do not! As soon as the super weapon was annihilated, Humanity took them back...from my pathetic excuse of an army!" He roared directly atthe Vehicons.

"Well...we always have the job of Energon mining to go back to" Starscream nervously chuckled.

"Starscream? Tell me...do you like your optics?"

"Well of course...why ask me-" the realization hit him like a brick. "Ah! No master!" He shielded his eyes, tilting his body, revealing a tracker bleeping on hos back. Megatron's eye twitched as he plucked it from Starscream's back.

"Everyone is dismissed...except for you Starscream. i have a few...questions to ask you!" Starscream froze in his steps.

Megatron turned to view space, only one arm on his left side and scratched and sliced riddling his torso. Knockout was working on his repairs in the med lab.

"You win this time...Optimus" Megatron snarled, crushing the tracker. He sighed.

"Now...Starscream...about those optics..." he tilted to face the trembling second in command.

...

"Do you guys have to go back?" Bulkhead asked. Hound nodded as he stepped into Ultra Magnus's ship

"Sorry guys, but with us here, no one's defending Cybertron. We'll stay in touch though, don't you worry" Hound smiled.

Jazz lowered his head. Wheeljack stepped inside the ship as well with a sigh. Ironhide looked at him with a deep exhale. He missed Cybertron, so did Jazz.

"You two can go" Optimus said, both of their heads lifting in shock.

"W-what? Really!" Ironhide asked.

"You have helped us on Earth so greatly, that I think you have earned some time on Cybertron. Go; oversee the restoration, the returning Autobots. We will always have a home waiting for you here, whenever you wish to visit" Optimus smiled. Ironhide and Jazz smiled at one another, and then the smiles dropped when they turned to face the Autobots. Bumblebee looked shocked, along with Ratchet and Arcee, bridged to them by Raf to say farewell.

Arcee had spent several hours in the hospital car park waiting to hear on news. Once June told her Jack was stable, she knew she could go, at least for a little while.

"You two are...really going?" Arcee asked, rubbing her upper arm. Ironhide sighed and dropped his shoulders.

"Go...enjoy yourselves" She smiled, Ironhide and Jazz smiling back.

"Bulk?" Ironhide started. He stopped him.

"Don't worry buddy. I got Miko to keep me on the wrecker path" He chuckled. Ironhide hugged him, as Bulk hugged back. He pat the green wrecker's back as he parted.

"See you soon, I'll be back buddy...Promise" Ironhide smiled.

"Hold you to it...both of you!" He shouted so Wheeljack could hear, getting a nod and smirk from him.

"Keep Cybertron in one piece!"

"Will do!" Ironhide jogged over to the ship, stepping inside the lift.

Jazz parted a hug with Bee as he nodded a farewell to him. He walked over to Ratchet, simply getting a handshake and nod, with a smile. That was all he needed from the beloved doctor. He then reached Arcee. She shrugged.

"Been a hell of ride these last few months huh?" Jazz chuckled.

"yeah...it really has" she was till scuffed and scratched from her Silas mission.

"take care of Jack...he's a good kid...err guy. You be good to him"

"I will...ah hell, why not" She leaned over placing a kiss on Jazz's cheek and hugging him, he hugged her back.

"Take care Jazz"

"You too Cee. You too" his voice croaked. She was like a sister to him. A little sister. He parted the hug and smiled as he turned to Optimus.

"Thanks Optimus...for taking me and Ironhide in"

"You are family. We have a home here for you"

"But...the base?"

"A home is not bricks and mortar, but the family in it. Besides, Fowler tells us he has a surprise in store, which startles me" Optimus laughed under his breath.

"You? But you're Optimus Prime!" Jazz chuckled. "Take care Prime...I'll see you soon"

"I do not doubt it old friend" He smiled as Jazz walked past Bulkhead, getting a big, off the ground hug by him.

"Err...bye-argh-Bulk!" He squeezed out. Bulk released him.

"See ya around"

"Will do Bulk. Will do" He walked away to the ship, getting in next to the other crew members. Ultra Magnus gave a final salute as the ship closed its ramp and the jets began to prime up, roaring to life with a blue glow.

Team Prime waved back as the ship lifted off, dust hitting them in waves. They shielded their optics as the huge ship lifted up and finally blasted off into the sky, disappearing, silence resuming. Just like that they were alone, all the original members, bar Smokescreen who decided to stay.

"You sure about staying Smokescreen?" Arcee asked.

"Why not? I fit in here I think. Plus no Magnus making me salute all the time. At least Optimus is a better leader in that respect" Smokescreen shrugged.

"I may make only you salute then, young one" Optimus joked, making the other Autobots of Team Prime laugh.

Suddenly loud footsteps sounded.

"Err...What did me Grimlock miss?" the huge being walked over, totally oblivious. All the bots looked at him with wide eyes and dropped arms swinging by their sides.

"He was...he was...supposed to be on that ship right?" Arcee stammered.

"Uh huh" Bumblebee sighed. Ratchet dropped to his knees in a heap.

"My equipment is going to get ruined!" he cried out, head down in his palms. The idea of Miko and Bulkhead looking after a Dinobot frightened him to his core. Grimlock simply tilted his head in confusion.

"Well...welcome to Team Prime then Grimlock. We will have...a lot to explain to special agent Fowler" Optimus rubbed his head as he observed the giant.

"Well, come on then big guy" Smokescreen shrugged.

"Me not holding your hand!" Grimlock objected.

"No! I mean just follow...follow, yeah?"

"Me not an idiot. Me understand" Grimlock sighed as he stomped by him.

"Note to self. Don't underestimate the giant Dinobot" Smokescreen groaned to himself, making Arcee chuckle as she walked by him.


	27. Chapter 27: Epilogue

Eyes murmured open, blurry vision being solved with a gentle rub of palms. Jack sat his head up with a groan, looking around, confused at the sight of the command center of Omega one, practically identical. Ratchet was working on his bridge controls, Miko and Raf on the sofa area above, Bumblebee and Bulk stood next to them.

Jack sighed, his heart dropping. Had he truly dreamed everything: The Hoover dam, Blackout, his relationship with Arcee? His heart almost rolled out of his stomach, when suddenly he felt a squeeze on his right hand. He looked over at Arcee, sleeping by the bedside, head on the bed and her hand firmly holding his. He sighed relief and laid his head back in the soft pillow. It wasn't a dream; she was still his spark mate.

To be sure, he looked into the reflection on the back of her hand, seeing his eyes glowing blue. He also saw cuts and bruises to his face and lips. He tried to sit up as an incredible pain hit his chest, slumping back and making him gasp.

Arcee's eyes slowly reopened and her gorgeous blues widened as she saw Jack awake.

"Primus, Ratchet! Jack's awake! He's awake!" She cried out as everyone looked over, Ratchet walking over at a pace. He began scanning Jack with a device.

"Mmm hmm, yes-yes. This is good" Ratchet mumbled, nodding.

"Good to see you to Ratchet" Jack groaned.

"Easy. You're still healing, though you have been in hospital for over a month, and here for a week"

"What!" Jack sat up sharply again, falling back with a groan.

"What happened?" Jack asked. Arcee's eyes widened and she looked at Ratchet as he shrugged, even him not knowing.

"Jack? Do you remember Silas?"

"Yeah, Teletraan killed him...oh...Teletraan" Jack sighed as he remembered that he'd lost his A.I friend. "I miss him" Jack huffed.

"He gave himself to destroy Silas, and he did. I will work on a new version of Teletraan sometime, a 2.0 if you will" Ratchet informed Jack_. _

"I feel like I'm forgetting something else" Jack said as he groaned, finally able to sit up, though still hurting.

"Jack...you need-"

"I mean, what I could be forgetting?" His legs were covered down to the knees with black shorts and his torso with a grey t-shirt. He slid his legs out from under the blanket, his left bare foot slapping the floor with a fleshy clap. His right one slid out and pressed against the floor with a metal clink. Jack's eyes widened. Arcee sighed and dropped her eyes down. Jack took a deep breath and looked down. On his right leg, from the knee down, he had a prosthetic leg. His heart dropped and he took a deep gulp.

"Wha...wha...what?" Jack stammered. Ratchet sighed as he walked around the medical gurney. He knelt down with an elderly groan.

"Jack. You lost your right leg when Silas attacked you. He cut it off with a fire axe. You've been in hospital for week's getting medical treatment for the wound. Skin grafts, surgery. When it finally healed enough, Nurse Darby brought you here. She knew I could give you the best possible replacement with our technology" Ratchet explained.

"So...so I'm never going to have both legs again? Ever?" Jack asked, tearfully. Ratchet sighed.

"No. But I've been working on the perfect replacement. This is just a prototype. I had no idea you would be up so early"

Jack's head lowered. He looked at the new sight. The left, a human leg, calve muscles a knee, the normal. Then the right, a long rod with a circle pad for a foot, a suspension like spring coiled around the rod and attached to a set of small pistons, connecting to a hinge knee. He tried to stand up, but sat back down.

"Here let me" Ratchet offered.

"No! I..I need to" Jack sighed as he pushed up, trying to stand, the suspension spring taking his weight and squeaking slightly. Miko and Raf watched from the sofa above. Arcee walked around the gurney by his side. Jack stood, but fell forward. she caught him, wrapping her arm around him and nudging him up as she knelt to help him stand.

"Thanks Cee" he tried again and made two steps before falling again, Arcee catching him. He pushed off of her, not aggressively, simply to show that he wants and has to do it himself.

He tried again, this time making three steps before dropping to the floor. Arcee helped her Sparkmate up. He stood up and sighed, taking a deep inhale. He closed his eyes and exhaled the now hot breath. He raised the prosthetic and stepped it forward, pushing down as the spring took the weight. He then moved his left leg and began to slowly walk, everyone holding their breath as they watched.

Arcee stood behind him arms out, like a parent training a child to ride a bike. Ratchet smiled as Jack made four steps, staggering steps. He reached the wall and pressed his palm against it. It was a small victory, but one none the less.

"Don't worry Jack; I'm working on a more compact version at the moment. It will look better, tighter and move more fluently. Like I said, I had no idea you'd be up so early!" Ratchet chuckled, tapping into his datapad.

"Thanks...Hey Cee, can you..." She looked at him with a head tilt. "Can you help me back over to the gurney" He whispered so only she could hear, looking so embarrassed and angry with himself that he couldn't even walk back to the gurney a few yards away.

"Sure thing sweetheart" She smiled as she coiled her arm around his chest and helping him over, letting him walk, though she took all the weight. Jack smirked weakly.

"Sweetheart huh?"

"Ah, you've grown on me" she smiled, nuzzling his cheek and kissing it softly, soothingly. Jack let a coo escape quietly before he reached the gurney, sitting back on the edge as Arcee knelt beside him, always by his side.

Suddenly footsteps stomped. "And well, that is Omega two Prime, a full spot on replica of the first base, complete with quarters for each member...well except him. I've got to figure out what to do with him" Fowler said as he walked with Optimus, Grimlock behind him.

"Huh. Not a dream then" Jack said to himself.

"Hmm?" Arcee asked.

"Nothing" Jack said as he pat her metallic thigh. She let out a quiet sigh and look of upset at how Jack was handling his leg loss. She looked up.

"Me Grimlock like it here! It's big and cozy! Right Ratchy?" Grimlock asked the doctor, getting an eye roll and sigh through gritted teeth in response.

"Gah, how many times do I need to tell you... it's Ratchet! Not Ratchy. Say it with me: Ratch..." Ratchet began as he held his hands out, as if holding an imaginary box, both parallel.

"Ratch..." Grimlock repeated back, though not sure why.

"...et" Ratchet harmonized, nodding to Grimlock to repeat it back to him.

"...et" Grimlock nodded.

"Ratchet" The doctor smiled, having gotten through to the Dinobot.

"Ratchy" Grimlock said back, making Ratchet mumble and growl, muttering under his voice as he slouched back to working on setting up his Ground Bridge controls. Miko and Raf laughed aloud at Ratchet and Grimlock. Jack let out a faint chuckle, not going unnoticed by Arcee as she sat her wide hips on the gurney beside him.

"Hey, there's a smile" she delicately said, not knowing how hard it must be for him, having lost a limb.

"I see all these soldiers on TV and in books coming back from war without legs and arms...you...you never think it could happen to you" Jack sighed, looking at his cybernetic leg. He felt a squeeze on his right palm, Arcee holding his hand.

"I'll do whatever I can to help you, you know that right?" Arcee smiled to him. Jack scoffed and smiled at her.

"I love you" He smiled, whispering it to her gently.

"I love you too" She beamed at him. He looked down from her face and groaned as he went to stand up. Arcee ever so gently rested her palm on his back, helping him up. His feet clanged and clapped against the cold floor, only his left feeling the tingling sensation.

"Where are you going?" She asked him.

"I err...need some air"

"You can head up top son. This is an exact remodel of Omega One. Everything is the same except for a few more quarters for the bots" Fowler explained as Jack limped past them. his servos and knee hinge whirring with each step.

"Yeah...thanks" He sighed, clanking past Fowler.

"Jack..." beckoned the voice of Optimus, making Jack look up at him. "While I cannot understand the loss of losing a part of yourself, we have all had to make sacrifices along the way. I am sorry you had to get involved in this dreadful war...and make your own sacrifice" Optimus pointed to his leg with a heavy sigh.

"Wasn't a con who did this...it was a human...one of my own. Even in death, he's still leaving his mark on me" Jack growled as he reflected on Silas, walking over to the lift and ascending to the roof.

"Prime! Is he gonna be alright?" Fowler shouted up to the leader as Optimus bent down.

"I'm not sure. Time is a great healer...but his wound will not grow back stronger" Optimus sighed.

"I'll go talk to him" Arcee groaned as she got up from the gurney.

As the amber sun began to fall beneath the huge crater of Jasper, Jack sat on the concrete floor, hands pressed on the ground supporting him. He glanced down at his bare left foot, wiggling his toes and feeling the grit on the concrete as he slid it, his skin tingling. He looked to the right with a heavy sigh, sliding the metal rod along the ground with a scrape, the spring inside it squishing down as he applied pressure.

He groaned as he went to get up, pushing upwards on his knelt human leg. He wanted to see if he could do it, with his right as the power deliverer. He pushed down with force as the spring tensed down and squeaked behind his knee, climbing to his feet, his left quickly darting back and pressing against the floor as he stabilized himself, staggering slightly.

He stood up on his own from a sat position. What he always took for granted, he now cherished. He smiled slightly as he looked down, his body painted in amber light from the sun.

"Hey, there you go. See, I knew you could do it partner" Arcee congratulated as she joined him.

"Hey Cee. How err...how long were you over there?" Jack rubbed his neck.

"Long enough to see why I fell in love with you"

"My dashing good looks?" He chuckled as she knelt down beside him, looking deep into his eyes, her face colored in pink and orange hues from the setting sun.

"There's that..." she chuckled "...I mean, your determination. The fact you never give up. for one example, all those years ago, remember when Knockout took the bully? You could have done what Bulk did and say let him take him, why should I care? But you didn't, you showed that you're a good man, from here" She pressed her slender finger on his chest, pointing to his heart.

"Cee...What...What do I do now? Huh? What do I do with this bum leg?" Jack sniffled as he staggered back slightly, still getting used to it. She gasped and jolted a little, as if ready to catch him if he went. This didn't go unnoticed by Jack.

"Huh...I always have you, right?"

"Always" she smiled. "And I'll tell you what you do now. The same you've always done, because just because your leg isn't of flesh, it's still yours and still answers to you. Remember that Ratchet is making you a better one, this was just his prototype"

"I guess..."

"Jack. I'll be with you every step of the way. I'm not going anywhere" She rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his hair gently, soothing him.

"Thanks Cee...gah I love you. I love you so much" Jack chuckled as Cee smiled deeply at him.

"Right back atcha Partner" She leaned forward, meeting his lips, Jack moaning gently and savoring the moment, the silence, the taste, all of it. They slowly parted as his eyes reopened.

"We'll need a new Stargazing spot" Jack chuckled, their forehead's still pressed together and eyes looking up into one anothers. She let a laugh escape under her breath.

"Yeah...we will"

"What about here? I mean it's at base, the perfect view of everything, no trees blocking it" Jack envisioned the spot.

"Jack? You're getting carried away again" She laughed as they parted their heads from one another, Arcee standing up with a groan.

"Can you blame me?" he shouted up to her as she walked away.

"Not at all. I'll give you a moment, okay. Jack?" she peered back.

"Yeah..."

"Don't let this...change or define you" She pleaded.

"I won't. We all had to make sacrifices, right?" Jack smiled, possibly slowly coming to terms with his loss, because he wasn't on his own in it. Arcee smiled and headed back down in the lift, leaving Jack alone again. He gulped and looked back at the leg as he titled it to get a better view. He sighed, shaking his head and peering up at the sun diminishing behind the cliffs, an array of cranes working on Jasper 2.0 in the distance. He stood proud as he admired the view.

_I've had to make some tough decision these past few months. I've had a lot of apologies to make, to people I love, the family I've become part of, and the girl I adore with all my heart. Yeah, I've lost a part of myself that I took for granted, that we all do! But now? Now nothing will be taken for granted. Everything is a gift to be cherished, every breath we draw; ever beat of our hearts...a gift of life. _

_See, when I look back on my life, when I'm old and frail and the family are gathered around, I wanna be able to lift my leg onto the table, and tell a story. The story of how we ended M.E.C.H! How we killed Silas. See, this...leg. It's not an end; it's a new beginning, stories to tell and new ones to experience. I forget that these solders I've seen go on to climb mountains with one leg, or run a marathon. They push themselves to the limit with their limitations! So...why shouldn't I?_

_This has been a hell of a ride, sure. And yeah, I've made mistakes along the way...but after all, I'm only human. _

Jack sighed as he looked down at his hand. He unclenched it as he pulled it from his shorts pocket, seeing a burned piece of blue and gold armor, something he held onto tight on the runway in Afghanistan as June worked on stopping the heavy bleeding. He nodded and smiled a farewell to Teletraan. He swung his arm back and hurled it out over the sky as it dropped down, disappearing out of view, as if flying into the sun.

_My name is Jackson Darby, though my friends...my family...the girl I love...they just call me Jack. Time to move on...time to begin a new chapter of my life...Time will remember us, for we are more than meets the eye. _

**Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass**

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**Author Notes: Hope you all enjoyed it! I will carry on this story, a more light hearted episode coming soon involved all of these bots and humans in Omega two...with a problem that just loves to eat metal...Thanky uo all for reading! I love you guys! -Dave**


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